CRN Magazine's Latest Issue

Read the most recent issue of CRN Magazine, the trusted news source for solution providers, systems integrators, MSPs and the full IT channel.

November 2024 Ingram Micro Special Issue

Ingram Micro’s Dedication To Sustainability Starts With Trust X Alliance

Ingram Micro's Trust X Alliance is the starting point for helping solution providers take their sustainability efforts to new heights.

Ingram Micro Helps Partners Up Their Cybersecurity Game With Slew Of Tools, Expert Guidance

Ingram Micro is helping partners grow their cybersecurity practices with a list of vetted vendors, subject matter experts and more.

Ingram Micro’s Collaboration With AWS Is A ‘Game-Changer’ For Partners

A collaboration agreement with AWS streamlines and enhances the way partners interact with AWS products and services and gives them a community of experts to turn to for help.

Ingram Micro Puts Partners In Prime Position To Power Microsoft Copilot Adoption

Training, specialized events and strategic support are just some of the ways Ingram Micro is helping partners drive adoption of Microsoft Copilot, taking partners from basic understanding to advanced technical readiness for all that AI can deliver.

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October 2024

The 100 People You Don’t Know But Should 2024

Across the channel’s vendors and distributors, these 100 individuals are helping craft the programs and processes to ensure their company’s partners succeed.

2024 Annual Report Card

The CRN Annual Report Card provides a look at which IT vendors are doing the best jobs – and which ones have work to do – in meeting partners’ needs.

Sustainability Practices Driving Business For Solution Providers

Solutions providers say a focus on sustainability is helping close deals with customers who are concerned with everything from a company’s carbon footprint to getting a handle on soaring power and cooling costs in the data center.

AI PCs At The Edge Deliver Lower Costs, Reduced Energy Use

Today’s AI PCs are moving power-hungry, GPU-driven AI training and inference tasks, leading to potential big performance and sustainability gains.

Power Vendors Step Up To Put Sustainability Front And Center

As the use of AI and GenAI continues to explode, issues around power consumption have become a hot topic.

Crowning Achievement: CRN’s 2024 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN assembles solution provider lists and rankings throughout the year, including the Solution Provider 500, Tech Elite 250 and Fast Growth 150. Here CRN recognizes the 47 solution providers that earned a spot on all three lists this year.

The 2024 Fast Growth 150

CRN’s Fast Growth 150 ranks solution providers with gross annual sales of at least $1 million by their two-year growth rate.

COLUMNS

Burke: The Big AI Mistake

CRN’s Steve Burke says new market dynamics around artificial intelligence require a different channel calculus.

Follett: Smart Technology Investments For A New Era

CRN’s Jennifer Follett says says now is the perfect time for solution providers to start to educate themselves on key technology areas that will help them differentiate their business in 2025.

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Special Issue: Artificial Intelligence
October 2024

Top Tech CEOs Agree: The AI Race Is On

As part of CRN’s CEO Outlook project earlier this year, we asked CEOs across the IT industry what impact they expected AI to have on the business they and their partners would do together in 2024. Here’s what some of them said.

Solution Providers Are Helping Customers Navigate Complex AI PC Landscape

AI PCs are garnering a lot of enthusiasm and support across the channel, and solution providers will be key to helping customers navigate a complex landscape.

The AI Transformation ‘Tidal Wave’ Is Coming

Many solution providers are already seeing a positive impact to their overall business from AI with more 10 percent of solution providers calling the impact “significant,” according to a study from IPED, the channel consulting arm of CRN parent The Channel Company.

AI Success Rests On Getting Your Data House In Order

With the cloud being the best delivery option for enterprises to reap the benefits of AI, companies need to re-architect their data and move applications into a centralized, secure place to enable AI to do its magic.

With AI Chips Getting Hotter, Liquid Cooling Vendors See Big Channel Play

AI chips are running much hotter than their predecessors, giving rise to a new class of channel-friendly startups focused on liquid cooling for high-power CPUs and GPUs.

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August 2024

The 2024 Fast Growth 150

CRN’s Fast Growth 150 ranks solution providers with gross annual sales of at least $1 million by their two-year growth rate.

The 2024 Tech Innovator Awards: The Winners

From among more than 320 applicants, CRN staff evaluated and selected products spanning the IT industry – including AI and AI infrastructure, cloud management, data analytics, networking, security and storage categories – that offer ground-breaking functionality and new opportunities for partners.

Inclusive Channel Leaders 2024

What does it mean to be an inclusive leader? These executives have taken this critical issue to heart, and they work every day at their companies to ensure all employees feel valued and respected.

The 10 Hottest Kubernetes Startups Of 2024 (So Far)

CRN looks at 10 Kubernetes startups changing the game in the container technology market. Market research firm SkyQuest Technology Group calls Kubernetes the second-fastest-growing project in the history of open-source software after Linux.

COLUMNS

Burke: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Gets The Channel

CRN’s Steve Burke says Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang knows that building a strong channel presence is key to scaling his company’s AI business and bringing AI solutions to the enterprise market.

Follett: The Very Real Challenge Of Artificial Intelligence

CRN’s Jennifer Follett says one of the biggest obstacles solution providers face when selling and deploying AI is overcoming the fear of the impact that AI will have because it represents such a huge change to the status quo.

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June 2024

2024 Women of the Channel Awards

This year, CRN honors over 1700 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

2024 Solution Provider 500

CRN‘s Solution Provider 500 ranks the top integrators, service providers and IT consultants in North America by services revenue.

CYBERSECURITY SPECIAL SECTION

Network Security Devices Are The Front Door To An IT Environment, But Are They Under Lock And Key?

As the industry has gotten better at locking down endpoint devices such as laptops, threat actors are finding new ways to infiltrate an organization’s systems—and they’re seeing more and more success.

All Eyes Are On Accelerating Data Security

Startups and well-established vendors alike have a new acronym in their arsenals: DSPM, or data security posture management, which can extend data security practices from on-premises environments to today’s cloud-based architectures.

SMBs Seeking SASE, And MSPs Are Ready To Deliver

There’s a huge untapped market for MSPs in helping small organizations adopt secure access service edge, which offers lower costs, better security and a simple deployment.

COLUMNS

Burke: Passing On A Legacy Of Caring For Others

CRN Executive Editor Steve Burke spotlights All Solutions CEO Nalit Patel and the valuable life lesson that he has used to build a thriving solution provider business.

Follett: Building Strong Relationships Is Secret To Solution Provider Success

BlackHawk Data CEO Maryann Pagano’s channel network is helping her build a $100 million business.

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April 2024

10 Cool AI PCs You Can Get From HP, Dell And Others

Here are 10 AI PCs you can get now or later this year from HP Inc., Dell Technologies, Lenovo and other vendors.

Partner Program Guide

The CRN Partner Program Guide offers the information that solution and service providers need to evaluate IT vendors.

AI Companies With A Winning Hand: The 2024 CRN AI 100

CRN’s inaugural AI 100 list breaks down the 100 companies you need to know about in the AI market in the five major categories: cloud, security, data and analytics, data center and edge, and software.

IoT 50

For the 2024 Internet of Things 50 CRN picked the coolest and most noteworthy channel-friendly vendors driving innovation forward and delivering real value, whether they’re focused on hardware, software, networking and connectivity, security or industrial solutions.

Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada who have achieved the highest partner program levels and won the most technology certifications from Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Intel, Nutanix, Oracle, Palo Alto Networks, Sophos and VMware.

COLUMNS

Burke: Where Are The AI Channel Incentives?

CRN’s Steve Burke is troubled that many vendors are not changing their channel programs to accelerate AI sales growth.

Follett: First Impressions Of AI PCs Will Be Shaped By The Channel

CRN’s Jennifer Follett says that the vendors that work closely with channel partners to bring the early wave of AI PCs to market will stand to make the biggest gains.

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February 2024

Channel Chiefs

Here are the executives who develop channel strategies that make partners successful.

Security 100

The 2024 CRN Security 100 highlights channel-friendly cybersecurity vendors across a number of market segments, ranging from the largest and best-known players to some of the small-but-promising startups.

Cloud 100

Here are the 100 cloud computing companies of 2024 with the most innovative offerings around cloud security, software, infrastructure, storage and management that you need to know.

CEO Outlook

See where CEOs are placing their bets in 2024 and how they are relying on partners to help them tackle emerging technology opportunities this year.

MSP 500

CRN's Managed Service Provider 500 list recognizes the top technology providers and consultants whose forward-thinking approach to providing managed services is changing the landscape of the IT channel.

Which Side Wins With GenAI: Cybercrime Or Cyberdefense?

Security experts weigh in on the potential use cases for GenAI technology and whether those cases are benefiting security teams or giving an edge to malicious actors.

Tech Giants Say AI PCs Will Change The Industry As They Hunt For ‘Killer Apps’

While many AI tools and services are easily accessed through desktop applications and powered by cloud infrastructure, major players in the PC ecosystem believe there will be a substantial market in the coming years for PCs that enable AI experiences partially or entirely through the computer’s local processor. CRN dives into the topic for AI PC Week.

COLUMNS

Follett: Three Channel Chiefs To Keep An Eye On In 2024

CRN’s Jennifer Follett is paying close attention to three channel chiefs, two of whom recently stepped into new roles. All three are tasked with delivering sales success amid rocky economic terrain.

Burke: A Tale Of Two VMwares

CRN’s Steve Burke contrasts Michael Dell’s channel leadership and nurturing of VMware as a crown jewel for Dell EMC with the shock to the system that partners have experienced in the wake of Broadcom’s $69 billion acquisition of VMware.

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/712439374/

December 2023

Thomas Kurian On Google Cloud’s AI Differentiators Vs. Rivals AWS, Microsoft

The CEO discusses what he says are the advantages Google Cloud has over its two main rivals, the big money-making opportunities for AI MSPs, and how Google is investing heavily to enable GenAI sales opportunities for partners.

Kyndryl CEO: Reselling ‘Other People’s Equipment’ Was ‘Empty Calorie Revenue’

‘What we’ve been talking about, particularly this year, is engineering a decline in revenue to get rid of either low-[margin] or no-margin businesses that we inherited in the [spin-out from IBM]. ... We inherited a business [from IBM] that was basically reselling other people’s equipment. And we’re taking that down dramatically this year because there’s nothing in it for us,’ Kyndryl Chairman and CEO Martin Schroeter tells CRN.

CRN’s 2023 Products Of The Year

CRN staff compiled the top partner-friendly products that launched or were significantly enhanced over the past year and then turned to solution providers to choose this year’s winners.

Stellar Startups 2023

In our annual Stellar Startups (previously Emerging Vendors) special report, CRN shines a spotlight on some of the most exciting channel-focused startup vendors with leading-edge technologies that are creating new opportunities for solution providers.

The 2023 Women On The Rise

These women are reaching new heights at their companies by putting partners front and center, demonstrating strong business acumen and collaborating with colleagues to drive success. Keep an eye on these up-and-comers who are poised to rise to the top.

2023 Next-Gen Solution Provider Leaders

For the fourth year CRN honors those 40-years-old or younger who, through their drive and passion, have helped propel growth and strategic direction at their solution provider companies.

COLUMNS

Burke: A Solution Provider CEO For The Ages

With Blue Mantis CEO Ron Dupler is retiring at the end of the year, CRN’s Steve Burke reflects on the career of someone he calls the archetype of the modern solution provider CEO.

Follett: Four Trends That Will Shape The Channel In 2024

As the year winds down, CRN’s Jen Follett looks in her crystal ball and predicts four ways the channel will be changed in 2024.

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October 2023

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz: Microsoft’s ‘Failures’ Put Everyone At Risk

In an interview with CRN, Kurtz said the recent Microsoft cloud email breach and frequent bypasses of Microsoft Defender by hackers are just two symptoms of the tech giant’s massive cybersecurity problem.

2023 CRN Annual Report Card

The CRN 2023 Annual Report Card gives solution providers the opportunity to grade IT vendors on their performance in product innovation, support, partnership, and managed and cloud services.

The 100 People You Don’t Know But Should 2023

Across the channel’s vendors and distributors, these 100 individuals are helping craft the programs and processes to ensure their company’s partners succeed.

Crowning Achievement: CRN’s 2023 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN assembles solution provider lists and rankings throughout the year, including the Solution Provider 500, Tech Elite 250 and Fast Growth 150. Here CRN recognizes the 41 solution providers that earned a spot on all three lists this year with the annual Triple Crown honors.

AI And The Channel: It’s Go Time

Solution providers that aren’t getting into the game when it comes to delivering innovative AI solutions to their customers may find themselves sitting on the bench. Here’s who’s come ready to play.

How Solution Providers Are Fighting AI With AI

The buzz around generative AI is getting louder as solution providers are addressing the risks and advantages it poses to their customers while vendors are stepping up by adding GenAI-powered capabilities into their cyber defense tools.

COLUMNS

Burke: Why Nutanix Is Channel Strong

Nutanix is a great example of a vendor that ensures that its disciplined channel model is enforced under any and all circumstances.

Follett: When It Comes To AI, Don’t Forget The Channel

The challenge in the rush to capitalize on such artificial intelligence is that vendors moving quickly to bring products and services to market often give short shrift to actually building the channel-necessary to propel those offerings into the marketplace.

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/807739164/

September 2023 Special Issue

Three Solution Providers On Why Ingram Micro Is Their Trusted Partner

Executives from KME Systems, Applied Tech and M&N Communications say that the distributor stands out by standing up to help them any way it can./p>

Ingram Micro’s Kirk Robinson On Where Xvantage Is Headed Next

Here’s what Kirk Robinson said about how far Ingram Micro’s Xvantage platform has come, how it continues to act as a learning tool and where the platform is going next.

Ingram Micro: Professional Services Make Partners ‘Profitable On Day One’

Partners are leveraging the power of Ingram Micro’s professional services and then turning around and creating additional revenue -- helping them become ‘profitable on day one.’

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August 2023

The Top 100 Executives Of 2023

Here we present the CRN Top 100 Executives of 2023 list, the men and women who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry.

2023 Tech Innovator Awards

To help solution providers identify products that are truly innovative and offer value for their customers, the 2023 CRN Tech Innovator Awards showcase IT vendor offerings that provide significant technology advances – and partner growth opportunities – across a broad range of technology categories including cloud, networking, security, storage, devices and software. The awards spotlight innovative products across 37 categories.

The 2023 Fast Growth 150

CRN‘s Fast Growth 150 ranks solution providers with gross annual sales of at least $1 million by their two-year growth rate.

COLUMNS

Follett: CEO Support Is The Cornerstone Of Channel Success

CRN Executive Editor Jennifer Follett says it’s critical for CEOs to communicate to the channel on a regular basis to provide assurance that the foundation is solid and that the vision is clear.

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/890153379/

June 2023

Deloitte’s Big Bets On Google Generative AI, ‘Proactive’ Workforce Transformation

“[Generative AI] feels like an evolution that has not happened before in terms of the scope, but also the pace at which things are moving. The capabilities of the technology are real,” said Deloitte’s Gopal Srinivasan.

2023 Women of the Channel Awards

This year, CRN honors over 1500 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

2023 Solution Provider 500

CRN‘s Solution Provider 500 ranks the top integrators, service providers and IT consultants in North America by services revenue.

Becoming An MSSP Is Hard. Partnering With One Could Be A Better Answer

Solution providers looking to bring managed security services to their customers -- without having to offer the services themselves --are finding growing options to do so through partnerships within the channel community.

Cyber Insurance Primer: How To Avoid The Pitfalls

Two cyber insurance broker executives discuss how MSPs and MSSPs can navigate the often-tricky process of obtaining policies, including through understanding what’s covered and the importance of ransomware coverage.

MSSPs On Why MDR Isn’t Always Enough

MDR is seeing off-the-charts growth, but many MSSP executives say a typical MDR offering is not nearly as comprehensive as the full complement of cybersecurity services they offer.

6 Hot New Security Offerings Ready To Stand Guard

An array of new cybersecurity product releases during the first few months of the year has made for a busy start to 2023. Here’s a look at some of the hottest new security products and services hitting the market.

What’s On Tap At XChange Security 2023: 5 Key Trends And Topics

XChange Security will take place July 10-12 in Dallas. Here’s a preview of what solution providers will hear about during the event.

COLUMNS

Burke: The Power Of The Ever-Changing Solution Provider

CRN Executive Editor Steve Burke celebrates solution provider Software To Go on its 40th anniversary.

Follett: Know Your Strengths So You Can Address Your Weaknesses

CRN Executive Editor Jennifer Follett says the true ‘power’ in knowing your superpower is perhaps that it sheds light on your weaknesses and helps you build a team accordingly to fill in the gaps.

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April 2023

CEO Enrique Lores: HP’s Business Model Designed For ‘The Channel To Make Money With Us’

HP Inc. CEO Enrique Lores talks about why the channel remains a top priority for HP, why he wants partners to sell more from HP’s wider portfolio of products and services and why he’s optimistic about HP’s future with partners. ‘Different from other companies, we have stayed the course. Since I joined the company more than 30 years ago, we have been a channel company. We haven’t moved from that,’ he tells CRN.

Tech 10: Harnessing Cutting-Edge Technologies

Wireless specialists and IT vendors alike are forming partnerships and coming to the table armed with telecom-focused offerings. Here are 10 mobility moves set to transform the market.

2023 Partner Program Guide

The CRN Partner Program Guide offers the information that solution and service providers need to evaluate IT vendors.

2023 Internet Of Things 50: A Growth Engine For The Channel

To help the channel navigate the ever-changing environment as IoT continues to be a growth engine for the channel, CRN has rounded up the 50 coolest IoT companies of the year.

Storage Vendors Evolve With The Times: 2023 Storage 100

Storage vendors are evolving with the times, with one of the biggest changes addressing the need for cybersecurity.

The 2023 Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada who have the highest level and most certifications from Amazon, Cisco, Dell, HPE, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and VMware.

COLUMNS

Burke: A New Era Of AI-Based MSP Automation

CRN Executive Editor Steve Burke says the time is now to leverage AI to reduce costs and scale your business.

Follett: Solution Providers Have Gotten More Sophisticated. Vendors Need To Keep Up.

CRN Executive Editor Jennifer Follett says that as solution providers have become more sophisticated entities, they require more innovative relationships with their vendor and distribution partners.

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/411112596/

February 2023

Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora On SASE, AI And Why Partners Are ‘More Important’ Than Ever

In an interview with CRN, Arora says that with the company’s product portfolio now established—including in key growth areas such as SASE, cloud security and XDR—2023 is ‘all about go-to-market and the channel’ for the cybersecurity giant.

Tech 10: 10 Storage Startups That Are Coming To The Rescue

These 10 startups have rolled out new products that are solving niche storage issues or tackling critical challenges that haven’t yet been resolved.

2023 Channel Chiefs

Here are the executives who develop channel strategies that make partners successful.

CEO Outlook 2023

If the past couple of years have taught the IT industry any­thing, it’s that businesses need faster returns on their IT investments and flexibility in the form of cloud-first offerings and Capex-based consumption models.

The 2023 Security 100

The 2023 CRN Security 100 highlights channel-friendly cybersecurity vendors across a number of market segments, ranging from the largest and best-known players to some of the small-but-promising startups.

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Companies Of 2023

From cloud infrastructure and cloud monitoring and management to cloud software, security and storage, CRN has named 100 companies leading the way in 2023 in innovation and global expansion.

The 2023 Managed Service Provider 500

CRN's Managed Service Provider 500 list recognizes the top technology providers and consultants whose forward-thinking approach to providing managed services is changing the landscape of the IT channel.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Be Smart, Leave Politics To Politicians

The Channel Company’s Founding Partner Robert Faletra says that it never makes sense for senior management to weigh in on political issues.

Follett: Channel Chiefs Need To Be Bold And Get Strategic

CRN’s Jennifer Follett says that these times create a tremendous opportunity for technology manufacturers to gain both mindshare and market share within the channel for those daring enough to grab them.

Burke: AWS’ Cloud Technology Leadership Makes Its Channel Unique

CRN News Editor Steven Burke says that Amazon Web Services partner Classmethod is a prime example of how AWS is driving breakthrough productivity, cost and competitive advantages for customers.

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December 2022

Adam Selipsky: Why Partners Should Pick AWS Vs. Cloud Rivals

AWS CEO Adam Selipsky explains why soultion providers should place their cloud bet on the $82 billion market-share leader versus the competition.

CRN’s 2022 Products Of The Year

CRN staff compiled the top partner-friendly products that launched over the past year, then turned to solution providers to choose the winners.

2022 Tech Innovators Awards

The 2022 CRN Tech Innovator Awards showcase IT vendor offerings that provide significant advances in IT – and partner growth opportunities – across a broad range of technology categories.

2022 Next-Gen Solution Provider Leaders

CRN honors those 40-years-old or younger who, through their drive and passion, have helped propel growth and strategic direction at their solution provider companies.

COLUMNS

Burke: HPE Is A Cloud Service Provider, Not A Hardware Company

CRN’s Steve Burke says partners that look at HPE as a hardware manufacturer with a broad and deep compute, storage and networking portfolio are missing the boat.

Faletra: Can We Get To Everything As A Service?

The Channel Company’s Founding Partner Robert Faletra says that as the buzz around Everything as a Service grows, the question becomes can we get there and what are the benefits if we do.

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/1015963908/

November 2022 Special Issue

The Cutting Edge: 8 Trends Future-Minded Solution Providers Should Watch

Solution providers with an eye toward the future know that edge computing is going to impact every corner of our lives, and they also know that the time is now to get in on the action. Here are eight key opportunities solution providers can leverage, from security to IoT as a service to distributed storage and more.

The 50 Hottest Edge Hardware, Software And Services Companies

CRN highlights 50 companies leading the way in edge computing with hardware, software and services.

The 25 Hottest Edge Security Companies

Here are 25 security players working at the cutting-edge of the edge.

The 25 Hottest IoT & 5G Services Companies

Here are 25 providers that are specializing in 5G, IoT and edge services.

View the issue:
https://online.flippingbook.com/view/1015841212/

October 2022

Crowning Achievement: CRN’s 2022 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN assembles solution provider lists and rankings throughout the year, including the Solution Provider 500, the Fast Growth 150 and the Tech Elite 250. Here CRN recognizes the 41 solution providers that earned a spot on all three lists this year with the annual Triple Crown honors.

Annual Report Card

The CRN Annual Report Card provides a look at which IT vendors are doing the best jobs – and which ones have work to do – in meeting their partners’ needs.

The 100 People You Don’t Know But Should

Across the channel’s vendors and distributors, these 100 individuals are helping craft the programs and processes to ensure their company’s partners succeed.

10 Tools And Platforms For Tackling The Big Data Deluge

As data volumes continue to explode, businesses are looking for more effective ways to manage and analyze all that data for competitive advantage. Here are 10 recently debuted big data management and analytics products that can help.

COLUMNS

Burke: Channel Lessons From The Supply Chain Crisis

CRN’s Steve Burke gives five lessons learned from solution providers that figured out how to prosper despite the pandemic and resulting supply chain crisis.

Faletra: High-Tech Changed The World. In The Future The World Will Change High-Tech

The Channel Company’s Founding Partner Robert Faletra says the world has been changed by high-tech, and high-tech is entering a phase where it will be changed by the world.

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/953227935/

October 2022 Special Issue

Ingram Micro CEO Paul Bay: ‘Our People, Our Experience And Our Execution Are What Differentiate Us Today’

“It’s not like we’re just starting this journey,” said Bay. “We made a real company investment both organically and through acquisition to set that foundation to help us accelerate what we’re going to do with Xvantage.”

Delivering Business Outcomes: Ingram Micro Helps Partners Bridge The Gaps In Their Services Offerings

Ingram Micro is helping partners make the transition to a services-led strategy, no matter how far along they are in their journey to deliver the right business outcome to their customers.

Finding The Best Fit: The Emerging Business Partners And New-To-The-Channel Vendors

Ingram Micro’s Emerging Business Group connects partners with vendors that are new to the channel or to distribution, setting everyone up for success.

Sanjib Sahoo On Digital Operations Vs. Digital And The Power Of The Xvantage Platform

Ingram Micro vice president Sanjib Sahoo says the company’s new Xvantage platform will “create a completely new experience” for partners to do business with the distributor.

Ingram Micro’s Community Spirit: Partner Collaboration Is Key

Ingram Micro partners are turning to the distributor’s community groups for guidance from their peers as they grapple with the “new channel normal.”

Ingram Micro’s Asset Disposition Services Help Partners Take Out The Recycling

Ingram Micro is starting to see more and more partners come to the distributor because they don’t have the resources to perform IT asset disposition in-house.

Game On: Ingram Micro Helps Partners Break Into An Untapped Market

Ingram Micro is seeing a big opportunity for solution providers to tap into its gaming portfolio to help people work, live and play better.

DEI, ESG Are Central To Ingram Micro’s Culture: ‘Our Success Is All About People’

Ingram Micro is laser-focused on environmental, social and governance and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

5 Ways Ingram Micro Is Upping Its Game For Partners

Ingram Micro’s Kirk Robinson outlines five ways the distributor is putting partners in a better position to grow their business.

Ingram Micro’s Marketing Message To Partners: Embrace Your Brand

“What we’re seeing is our partners embracing their brand and what they represent and who they are as a company,” said Jennifer Anaya, Ingram Micro’s senior vice president of global marketing. “You can replicate a lot of things in terms of skills or systems or tools that you use. But you really can’t replicate who you have on your team that has the expertise and the relationships and the knowledge that they bring.”

‘Get To Yes:’ Ingram Micro’s Creative Financing For A Cloud And Managed Services World

Ingram Micro has moved to provide partners with the financial tools to address the business change from straight hardware sales at fixed credit terms to SaaS and managed services.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/832164920/

August 2022

The Top 100 Executives Of 2022

Here we present the CRN Top 100 Executives of 2022 list, the men and women who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry.

Emerging It Vendors You Need To Know

In our annual Emerging Vendors special report, CRN shines a light on some of the most exciting new channel-focused vendors helping create new solutions for business and opportunity for solution providers.

The 2022 Fast Growth 150

CRN‘s Fast Growth 150 ranks solution providers with gross annual sales of at least $1 million by their two-year growth rate.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Do We Need The CHIPS Act?

The Channel Company’s Founding Partner Robert Faletra believes there hasn’t been enough debate in Washington, D.C. around what could be the unintended consequences of the CHIPS Act.

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/90779465/

July 2022

The 2022 Rising Female Stars Of The It Channel

Can-do attitudes, tireless work ethics, problem-solving skills are just a few of the characteristics ascribed to this CRN’s 2022 100 Rising Female Stars list.

10 Important DEI Trends For The Channel To Keep Top Of Mind

For a growing number of solution providers, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are becoming an important component of their long-range strategies. Here’s a look at 10 key DEI trends that are impacting companies across the channel today.

How To Focus On ‘Culture-Add,’ Not ‘Culture-Fit’

Many companies feel a responsibility to identify and confront any biases that may exist in their business, whether that bias is unconscious or not. Now is the time to focus on ‘culture-add’—not ‘culture-fit’—so that all employees feel a sense of belonging and can be their authentic selves.

Equity In Hiring Starts With The Job Description

The Channel Company’s Cass McMann says the first step to hiring inclusively is the job description.

The Power Of Allyship: Even The Smallest Steps Make A Difference

“If it wasn’t for my ally who stood up for me to remove the roadblocks for me, I would have not been seen as a whole for my contribution. I would have been marginalized,” said Rima Olinger, managing director of North America partners for AWS.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/831896355/

June 2022

40 Channel Milestones Over 40 Years

As CRN celebrates its 40th anniversary, here are the 40 milestones that have shaped the channel over the last four decades.

2022 Women of the Channel Awards

This year, CRN honors nearly 1400 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

2022 Solution Provider 500

CRN‘s Solution Provider 500 ranks the top integrators, service providers and IT consultants in North America by services revenue.

COLUMNS

Faletra: After 40 Years The Future Looks Very Bright

The Channel Company Founding Partner Robert Faletra takes a look back at the 40-year history of CRN and why it’s been a strong survivor in a media field littered with casualties.

Burke: Robotic Process Automation Is A Channel Game-Changer

CPP Associates said the ROI on robotic process automation is nothing short of mind-boggling.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/832325983/

May 2022 Special Issue

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/832501232/

April 2022

ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott: 'We're In A Market Of One'

McDermott says his company is the workflow automation market leader, one that is on its way to becoming a $15 billion SaaS powerhouse by building a “platform of platforms.”

2022 Partner Program Guide

The CRN Partner Program Guide offers the information that solution and service providers need to evaluate IT vendors.

2022 Internet Of Things 50: The Need For IoT

Companies are seizing the IoT opportunity like never before. Here are 50 key IoT players across connectivity, hardware, industrial IoT, security and software.

The 2022 Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada who have the highest level and most certifications from Amazon, Cisco, Dell, HPE, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and VMware.

2022 Storage 100: Who's Got Your Backup?

Solution providers looking to place their bets on vendors with the most innovative technologies can turn to the Storage 100, which shines a spotlight on 2022's forward-thinkers.

10 New Smartphones And Tablets For Remote Work, Travel, And Telecommuting

For the worker-on-the-go, here are the top mobile devices that are reshaping how we interact with technology whether in the office or just waiting for the train.

COLUMNS

Burke: Missing Out On The Everything-As-A-Service Boom

CRN Executive Editor Steve Burke says some vendor channel programs and compensation models favor direct sales and are holding back the Everything-as-a-Service model.

Faletra: Prepping For The Recession And The Opportunity

The Channel Company Founding Partner Robert Faletra believes the chances of a recession are real, and they present an opportunity for strategic solution providers that plan accordingly.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/831545941/

February 2022

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins To Partners: 'When We Make Changes, We Make Them Together'

Robbins broke down the importance and opportunity around Cisco Plus, the company's strategy for delivering its portfolio as a service, in an interview with CRN.

Diversity, Equity And Inclusion In The Channel: Where We Are And Where We're Going

The channel is paying more attention to DEI and will soon have a new online Inclusive Leadership Network community to help companies share ideas about starting or expanding their own initiatives.

CEO Outlook 2022

CEOs across the IT industry see plenty of opportunity for sales growth for them and their partners in 2022.

2022 Channel Chiefs

Here are the executives who know how to create a partner program that delivers.

The 2022 Security 100

CRN's Security 100 examines 100 vendors across five market segments to guide solution providers on where to place their bets in a crowded market.

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Companies Of 2022

CRN's Cloud 100 list recognizes the coolest cloud computing companies in cloud infrastructure, monitoring and management, security, software and storage, highlighting 20 in each category.

The 2022 Managed Service Provider 500

The top managed service providers and consultants in North America

10 Storage Products That Are Tearing Up The Rule Book

These 10 startups have introduced their first hardware, software and cloud products, highlighting new ways to tackle a range of storage issues.

COLUMNS

Burke: CRN Celebrates 40 Years Of Being The Voice Of The Channel

The voice of the channel still rings loud and clear as CRN celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Faletra: The Metaverse Is The Next Challenge To Your Business Model

The Channel Company Founding Partner Robert Faletra says the Metaverse is coming and it is going to change everything, slowly at first and then all of a sudden.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/832009105/

December 2021

The 2021 Tech Innovator Awards

From among 373 applicants, CRN staff selected products spanning the IT industry—including in cloud, infrastructure, security, software and devices—that offer both strong differentiation and major partner opportunities.

2021 Next-Gen Solution Provider Leaders

For the second year CRN honors those 40-years-old or younger who, through their drive and passion, have helped propel growth and strategic direction at their solution provider companies.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Is Dell Technologies' Channel At Risk?

The Channel Company's Robert Faletra says some recent decisions made by Dell Technologies are troubling and confusing for the company and the channel.

Burke: Why Optiv Is A Security Superstar

Optiv CEO Kevin Lynch has transformed the world's largest pure-play security solution provider into a next-generation security services co-innovation partner.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21204387/

November 2021 Special Issue

Edge Computing Security 'Explosion' Paves Way For New Channel Frontier

'It's about protecting that remote branch that didn't exist a year and a half ago,' said Computex Technology Solutions' Faisal Bhutto. 'If you have 4,000 employees, that's roughly 4,000 edges.'

10 Hot Edge Computing Devices And Services To Check Out Now

CRN breaks down the hottest edge computing devices that are making waves in 2021 and driving the ever-expanding edge market.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21934828/

October 2021

Intel's Gelsinger: AMD's Lead 'Over' With New Alder Lake, Sapphire Rapids CPUs

In an exclusive interview with CRN, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger talks about how the upcoming Alder Lake and Sapphire Rapids CPUs will put the heat on AMD, his view of Arm's emergence in the data center and the importance of channel partners to Intel's future.

The 100 People You Don't Know But Should 2021

These unsung channel heroes helped keep their companies and channel partners on track amid the massive and sudden shift to work from home, accelerated timelines for digital transformation and global supply chain disruptions that kept everyone guessing.

2021 Annual Report Card

For the 36th year, solution providers scored vendors in 24 technology categories based on their performance in product innovation, support, partnership, and managed and cloud services.

Windows 11: Partners Say It's A 'Smart Play' By Microsoft To Put Security First

While stringent hardware requirements will prevent many PCs from installing Windows 11, the verdict from solution providers is that the security advantages of TPM 2.0 and newer processors are worth it. The third of a three-part series on Windows 11.

18 Red Hot IT Products And Services MSPs Need To See

CRN breaks down 18 of the hottest vendor products and services that were on display during XChange+ 2021 that channel partners and MSPs need to know.

Crowning Achievement: CRN's 2021 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN recognizes the 45 solution providers that earned a spot on the Solution Provider 500, the Fast Growth 150 and the Tech Elite 250 lists this year with the annual Triple Crown honors.

COLUMNS

Faletra: The Black Hand Of The Channel Doesn't Work

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says the strategy of vendors telling partners not to talk to reporters is a losing one.

Burke: The Passing Of An Industry Icon

Bruce Geier, who passed away last month after a long battle with cancer, was a force in the channel community well beyond his herculean accomplishment building TIG into one of the top global solution providers

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21429503/

August 2021

Cover Story: Strike First, Strike Hard: How George Kurtz Has Built CrowdStrike Into A Cybersecurity Powerhouse

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz is fired up as his elite endpoint protection platform continues to win over customers, and he's pulling no punches when it comes to taking on his rivals.

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz Takes Big Swings At Microsoft, SentinelOne

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz pulls no punches on why he believes his company has the edge over rivals Microsoft and SentinelOne.

The Top 100 Executives Of 2021

Here we present the CRN Top 100 Executives of 2021 list, the men and women who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry.

2021 Most Influential Executive Arvind Krishna: 'I Bleed Blue'

The progress Arvind Krishna has made in transforming IBM into a hybrid cloud-AI powerhouse with a renewed focus on partners, innovation and growth has made him the No. 1 Most Influential Executive on CRN's 2021 Top 100 Executives list.

Emerging IT Vendors You Need To Know In 2021

In our annual Emerging Vendors special report, CRN shines a spotlight on some of the most exciting channel-focused startup vendors with leading-edge technologies that are creating new opportunities for solution providers.

The 2021 Fast Growth 150

CRN's Fast Growth 150 ranks solution providers with gross annual sales of at least $1 million by their two-year growth rate.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Your Strategic Service Provider Brand Versus Cloud Suppliers

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says strategic service providers need to assess where cloud infrastructure market is headed and how they can grow and retain customers.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21747637/

Rule-Breakers: When It's Time To Say No To The Status Quo

We asked the honorees on our 2021 Women of the Channel list to tell us the one workplace rule they always break.

Women In Tech Need To 'Communicate The Conviction Of Their Ambition'

Neveen Awad, managing director and partner at Boston Consulting Group, describes how women often carve out different paths to success compared with their male counterparts and how women can overcome the challenges they face along the way.

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https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21245003/

June 2021

NWN Carousel CEO Jim Sullivan On The 'Huge Advantage' Of Scaling Up In Cloud Communications

With the acquisition of Carousel Industries by NWN, the combined company will have offices around the U.S. with more than 6,000 customers and a $1 billion run rate.

Tech 10: 10 Hot Identity And Access Management Products You Need To Know About

These 10 identity and access management products secure internal and external identities, authenticate users through multi-factor authentication or single sign-on, and safeguard privileged accounts.

2021 Women of the Channel

This year, CRN honors over 1000 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

2021 Solution Provider 500

CRN's Solution Provider 500 ranks the top integrators, service providers and IT consultants in North America by services revenue.

COLUMNS

Burke: The Everything-As-A-Service Sales Spread

CRN Executive Editor Steve Burke says the Everything-as-a-Service pay-per-use channel revolution Is here and Is here to stay.

Faletra: Why Strategic Service Providers Are Accelerating

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says the strategic service provider is coming into its own in a more visible and pronounced way because the market forces have helped the acceptance of it.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/134709300/

April 2021

Tech 10: 10 Key Devices That Go Wherever The Workforce May Be

For mobile and remote workers, these laptops, tablets and accessories are ideal for a variety of situations.

2021 Storage 100: The Data Conversation Starts Here

How storage is deployed rests with solution providers assessing exactly what their customers are trying to accomplish. These 100 companies aim to be part of that discussion.

2021 Internet Of Things 50: The Bright Lights Of IoT

Solution providers are seizing the IoT opportunity like never before. Here are 50 key IoT players across connectivity, hardware, industrial IoT, security and software.

2021 Partner Program Guide

The Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate IT vendors.

The 2021 Tech Elite 250

Our list of the highest-achieving solution providers in vendor certifications.

COLUMNS

Burke: Security Crisis -- Public Cloud Is Not A Security Cure-All

CRN Executive Editor Steve Burke says businesses are turning to solution providers to separate fact from fiction, particularly with regard to whether the public cloud is more secure than an on-premises IT environment.

Faletra: The Changing Distribution Landscape?

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says Tech Data's acquisition of Synnex wasn't born out of necessity, but of ambition.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/82914640/

February 2021

Cover Story: IBM CEO Arvind Krishna's 'Deeply, Deeply Passionate' Plan To Make IBM-Red Hat No. 1 In Hybrid Cloud, AI

IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna is transforming the company into a hybrid cloud and AI powerhouse focused on a $1 trillion market opportunity with a plan to double its revenue with partners over the next three to five years.

CEO Outlook 2021

2020 was one for the history books. The CEOs who weighed in on our annual survey are now ready to write their company's next chapter.

2021 Channel Chiefs

Here are the executives who know how to create a partner program that delivers.

The 2021 Security 100

CRN's annual Security 100 list helps solution providers decide what technologies and vendors they should place their bets on in the crowded and complex security vendor market.

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Companies Of 2021

This year's Cloud 100 celebrates the coolest cloud computing players—20 in each category—providing cloud infrastructure, monitoring and management, security, software and storage.

The 2021 Managed Service Provider 500

CRN's Managed Service Provider 500 list recognizes the top technology providers and consultants whose forward-thinking approach to providing managed services is changing the landscape of the IT channel.

COLUMNS

Faletra: IBM's Channel Focus Gets A Boost

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says for the first time in years, IBM is getting its channel mojo back.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/83002810/

December 2020

CRN's 2020 Products Of The Year

CRN editors compiled the top partner-friendly products and services that launched over the past year, then turned to solution providers to choose the winners.

2020 Tech Innovator Awards

The delivery of truly differentiated offerings that create opportunities for partners during this unprecedented period is the crowning achievement of our 2020 Tech Innovators.

2020 Next-Gen Solution Provider Leaders

Here we present CRN's inaugural Next-Gen Solution Provider Leaders, recognizing today's rising star solution provider executives, directors and managers who are poised to be tomorrow's channel leaders.

10 Ways To Boost Cloud Performance

From block-and-file storage to AI-powered document processing to Kubernetes enrichment for log management, here are 10 offerings from tech's dynamic cloud sector.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Can Intel Regain The Dominance It Once Enjoyed?

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra wonders if Intel, still an incredible company with world-class products, can remain the biggest player in an increasingly-crowded semiconductor market.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/65595219/

The 25 Hottest Edge Software Companies: 2020 Edge Computing 100

Here are the 25 software companies that are playing a critical role in executing real-time data analytics and machine learning for organizations of all sizes.

The 25 Hottest IoT And 5G Edge Services Companies: 2020 Edge Computing 100

Here are the top 25 companies specializing in 5G, IoT and edge services as wireless carriers race to build out their next-generation networks.

The 25 Hottest Edge Security Companies: 2020 Edge Computing 100

As digital transformation and COVID-19 rapidly shift users, devices, applications, services and data outside of the enterprise data center, here's a look at 25 vendors capable of securing the Edge of tomorrow.

The Intelligent Edge: How Smart Solution Providers Are Creating New Services Blueprints

The edge is where the action is. The opportunity -- which incorporates networking, security, IoT, power, storage and emerging technologies like 5G -- has solution providers in prime position to find new target markets and create a services blueprint for the future.

5G Technology: Fueling Innovation At The Edge

The wireless technology will fuel innovation at the edge by powering brand-new use cases, taking data collection and processing to new heights.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/65864234/

October 2020 Special Issue

Lenovo Partners Seeing Huge Momentum In Device-As-A-Service Deals

Lenovo partners are seeing huge momentum with DaaS, which offers the ability to scale down the number of devices on demand -- not just scale up.

Innovation Delivered: Partners Hail Lenovo For 'Challenging The Norm'

Lenovo is looking to seize the moment with PCs considered essential amid widespread remote work and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lenovo GM Kevin Hooper On 'Acquisition, Growth And Market Share Push'

Lenovo executive Kevin Hooper's Channel-First go-to-market strategy mandates that Lenovo leverage channel partners in as many deals as possible.

Lenovo's Matthew Zielinski: PC Group Staying On 'Growth Tear' By Going After New Customers With Partners

Lenovo president Matt Zielinski spoke with CRN about the PC demand outlook, the Chromebook supply situation and his message for partners.

Lenovo Partner Hub, Empower Incentive Have Partners Closing More Deals, More Quickly

“The real benefits [of Partner Hub] are going to come from our ability to aggregate big data, and then present it back out to our partners to really accelerate and change their sales motion,” said Lenovo's Jeff Taylor.

Boosting Partner Profitability: Lenovo's Steve Biondi Talks New Programs, Channel Enablement Ahead

Enhancements to the Lenovo Data Center Partner Program include additional rebates for exceeding growth targets and acquiring new accounts as well as customer 'talk tracks' to help sell in a virtual world.

Call To Action: How Lenovo Is Emphasizing Communication And Rewarding Partners For New Business

Lenovo channel chief Rob Cato spoke with CRN about Lenovo's Partner Stimulus Package, focus areas with solution providers during the COVID-19 crisis and the biggest investment areas going forward.

'Bold Commitment:' Lenovo's Channel-First Initiative Puts Partners Front And Center

“That Channel-First strategy not only has delivered, but it has also protected us through this last six months of lockdown and the effect of COVID-19,” said Kevin Hooper, president and general manager for Lenovo's North America Data Center Group/p>

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/768128421/

October 2020

Tech 10: Big Data Management And Business Analytics Tools You Need To Know About

Collecting, preparing, managing and analyzing ever-growing volumes of data continues to be a challenge for business and organizations. Here are 10 tools and platforms for gaining value from big data.

The 100 People You Don't Know But Should

CRN's 100 People You Don't Know But Should spotlights some of the channel's best and brightest people who may not be as visible as some channel chiefs or CEOs but are just as important to the partner community.

2020 Annual Report Card

For the 35th year, solution providers scored vendors in 24 technology categories based on their performance in product innovation, support, partnership, and managed and cloud services.

Cloud Partner Programs Guide

CRN's annual Cloud Partner Program Guide provides partners with the insight needed to navigate through the crowded cloud landscape and identify the vendors that best meet the needs of their customers.

Top Of The Mountain: CRN's 2020 Triple Crown Award Winners

Here are 44 solution providers who have continued to thrive during a challenging year, building on their track records of rapid growth and wide-ranging technology expertise.

COLUMNS

Burke: iCorps' IT Leadership On Demand A 'Life-Saver' For SMB Customers Starving For IT Insight

The IT Leadership on Demand Service focuses on strategic planning with the aim of driving strategic competitive business advantages for customers.

Faletra: Should You Prepare For A Protracted Downturn?

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says while the technology industry has been spared the worst of post-pandemic economic downturn, that won't remain the case for long.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/767648720/

August 2020

The Top 100 Executives Of 2020

Here we present the CRN Top 100 Executives of 2020 list, the men and women who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry.

The Next Generation: 10 Hardware Products Enabling Modern Data Centers

These 10 new server, storage and hyperconverged infrastructure platforms are taking today's data centers into the future.

The Best CEO Quotes Of 2020 (So Far)

Here are the most important quotes from tech's biggest leaders that best encapsulate the important happenings and trends of 2020 so far.

Emerging IT Vendors You Need To Know In 2020

In our annual Emerging Vendors special report, CRN shines a light on some of the most exciting new channel-focused vendors helping create new solutions for business and opportunity for solution providers.

The 2020 Fast Growth 150

CRN's Fast Growth 150 ranks solution providers with gross annual sales of at least $1 million by their two-year growth rate.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Preparing For A Permanently Changed Solution Sale

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says in a post-coronavirus world, there are two new and likely environments many businesses will find themselves in.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21305350/

July 2020 - Special Issue

2020 Rising Female Stars: Solution Provider Keys To Success For 2020

What advice do our Rising Female Stars have for their solution providers? Here's what a few of them had to say about defining value, selling with empathy and focusing on hot technologies like 5G, artificial intelligence and hybrid cloud.

2020 Rising Female Stars: How To Turn 'Challenges' Into 'Opportunities' For Positive Change

Mettacool co-founder Natalie Eicher spoke with CRN about a number of issues facing women in the workplace today, from insecurities about networking and self-promotion to the impacts of the “Me Too” movement.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21167615/

June 2020

10 Cloud Security Services You Need To Know About

These 10 consulting and managed service bundles help businesses plan safe migrations to the cloud, identify and mitigate significant cloud-borne threats, and prepare for and respond to cloud breaches.

Women Of The Channel 2020: Leading Fearlessly In A Time Of Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has called on female executives to do the one thing that many have avoided in their professional careers: get personal.

2020 Women of the Channel Awards

This year, CRN honors more than 900 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

2020 Solution Provider 500

CRN's Solution Provider 500 ranks the top integrators, service providers and IT consultants in North America by services revenue.

Rising To The Occasion: The 2020 Solution Provider 500

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the global economy and the IT industry. For the channel, it's no longer business as usual but the companies on this year's CRN Solution Provider 500 list are meeting the new challenges head-on.

COLUMNS

Faletra: The Coronavirus And 5G Technology, A Perfect Match

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says the stars are lined up to result in an extremely rapid movement toward a completely different business environment centered around remote instant information access.

Burke: Future Shock -- COVID-19 Channel Upheaval

CRN's Steve Burke says the old channel playbook has been thrown out the window.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21020015/

May 2020 - Special Issue

Michael Dell On The Impact Of Coronavirus, VMware Integration And Networking Share Gains

Michael Dell spoke with CRN about why now is the best time to be a Dell Technologies partner.

5 Ways Dell Technologies Partners 'Are Going To Win More' With PowerStore

In an interview with CRN, 20-year Dell EMC veteran Scott Millard breaks down everything Dell Technologies is bringing to the table with PowerStore.

Dell's Next-Generation Storage Platform Is Here: PowerStore Is 'Untouchable'

PowerStore is the 'absolute right platform for what customers need now and will need through the data era,' says Dell Technologies' Caitlin Gordon.

Bill Scannell: Why Dell Technologies 'Stands To Benefit The Most' In a Data-Driven, Multi-Cloud World

In an interview with CRN, Dell Technologies President Bill Scannell explains why Dell Technologies -- along with its partners -- will shine over the next decade.

Dell Channel Chief Mullen On Coronavirus Crisis: 'This Is A Time When Partners Really Shine'

Dell Technologies partners are proving they have the unique skill sets and vertical industry expertise to help their customers run their business.

3 Ways Dell Technologies Is 'Raising The Bar' Across Its Partner Program

Dell channel VP Darren Sullivan discusses why the Dell Technologies Partner Program is now better than ever.

10 Hot Dell Technologies Infrastructure And PC Products

These 10 products are paving the way for digital transformation and the new work-at-home workforce.

Dell Channel Chief: Dell Will Come Out Of Coronavirus Pandemic 'Stronger And More Effective Than Ever'

Dell Channel Chief Joyce Mullen talks about helping partners today and empowering them for tomorrow.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21124565/

April 2020

Tech Ten: 10 Hot Devices For Your Mobile Work Setup

Here are 10 devices that can play a starring role in a mobile work setup for your home office.

2020 Partner Program Guide

The 2020 Partner Program Guide is based on detailed applications submitted by 238 vendors, outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

2020 Internet Of Things 50: Realizing The Promise Of IoT

For solution providers just getting started in IoT and those who have already established businesses in the field, CRN presents the 50 coolest IoT companies of the year across connectivity, hardware, industrial IoT, security and software.

The Heartbeat Of Business: The 2020 CRN Storage 100

The Storage 100 highlights the best, brightest, and most innovative providers of storage technology for solution providers.

The 2020 Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada who have the highest level and most certifications from Amazon, Cisco, Dell, Google, HPE, IBM, Juniper, Microsoft, NetApp, Nutanix, Oracle, Pure Storage and VMware.

COLUMNS

Faletra: These Changes Create An Opportunity We've Not Seen Before

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra believes that the challenge of the coronavirus lends an business opportunity for solution providers.

Burke: Google's Alpha Bet: Why Google Cloud Is The Real Deal

Thomas Kurian has brought order to what was a less-than-partner-friendly approach to the cloud market by Google Cloud.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/841187990/

February 2020

5 Big Things To Know About IBM's New CEO Arvind Krishna

Despite being far less known than current IBM CEO Virginia Rometty, Krishna will bring a powerful combination of technological and operational experience to the role, according to the company.

Cover Story: CEO Outlook 2020

CRN asked 79 of the industry's top CEOs five questions on their views for how 2020 will shape up.

Channel Chiefs

Here are the executives who know how to create a partner program that delivers.

Security 100

CRN's Security 100 list helps solution providers decide what technologies and vendors they should place their bets on in the crowded and complex security vendor market.

Cloud 100

The 2020 installment of CRN's 100 Coolest Cloud Computing companies highlights the best of the best in cloud infrastructure, management, security, software, and storage.

MSP 500

The Top Managed Service Providers and Consultants in North America

COLUMNS

Faletra: Defending High-Tech And Its Billionaire Entrepreneurs

In response to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez's recent comments on billionaires, The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra wants to point out a few things that she seems to be forgetting.

Burke: CPP Associates Is Betting Big On The Future

The hybrid cloud solution provider is making a $1 million investment over the next five years to bring a wide range of breakthrough artificial intelligence data solutions to customers.

View the issue:

https://online.flippingbook.com/view/21873200/

December 2019

Products of the Year

CRN editors looked at the best new products and major updates of 2019 and then turned to solution providers to choose the winners based on technology, revenue and profit opportunities, and customer demand.

Tech Innovators

The ability to empower solution providers with truly differentiated offerings is the crowning achievement of our Tech Innovator winners and finalists.

Next-Gen 250

The Next Gen 250 highlights the solution providers that have developed skills, solutions and services around the leading-edge technologies that are driving the IT industry today.

10 Hottest Cloud Security Tools Of 2019

The 10 tools making noise in the cloud security market have emphasized the safe migration of applications and data, maintaining compliance in the public cloud, and correlating threat activity in disparate clouds.

COLUMNS

Faletra: What Supplier Consolidation Might Mean To Your Business

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says that solution providers are in a better position if they have alternatives to suppliers.

Burke: Andy Jassy's 'Super Strategic' Partner Bet

AWS CEO Andy Jassy is touting a 'new generation' of systems integrations that have 'embraced the cloud and invested very deeply.'

October 2019

2019 Annual Report Card

For the 34th year, solution providers scored vendors in 23 product categories based on their performance in product innovation, support, partnership, and managed and cloud services.

2019 Cloud Partner Programs Guide

CRN's annual Cloud Partner Program Guide provides partners with the insight needed to navigate through the crowded cloud landscape and identify the vendors that best meet the needs of their customers.

The 100 People You Don't Know But Should

CRN spotlights some of the channel's best and brightest people who may not be as visible as some channel chiefs or CEOs but are just as important to the partner community.

Going Above And Beyond: CRN's 2019 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN assembles a number of lists and rankings throughout the year, including the Solution Provider 500, the Fast Growth 150 and the Tech Elite 250. CRN recognizes the 47 solution providers that earned a spot on all three lists this year with the annual Triple Crown honors.

Tech 10: Fulfilling The Big Promises Of Big Data In The Cloud

Here are ten new software offerings for improving business user and application access to rapidly expanding cloud data sources.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Should You Bet Your Storage Practice On Pure Storage?

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra wonders if Pure Storage considers the channel a strategic partner in the way rivals Dell and HPE do.

Burke: NWN's Secret Weapon

Why a homegrown NWN experience management platform is a digital transformation game-changer.

August 2019

The 10 Coolest Flash Storage And SSD Technologies Of 2019 (So Far)

CRN looks at 10 new all-flash arrays and SSDs from leading storage vendors including Violin Systems and IBM.

The Top 100 IT Executives Of 2019

We present the CRN Top 100 Executives of 2019 list, the men and women who are setting the pace for the rest of the IT industry.

Emerging IT Vendors You Need To Know In 2019

In our annual Emerging Vendors special report, CRN shines a light on some of the most exciting new channel-focused vendors helping create opportunity for solution providers.

The 2019 Fast Growth 150

CRN's Fast Growth 150 ranks solution providers with gross annual sales of at least $1 million by their two-year growth rate.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Amazon And What It Takes To Be A Great Channel Chief

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra gives his thoughts to Amazon's new channel chief on what has made some of the truly great channel leaders in the past so good.

June 2019

2019 Women of the Channel

This year, CRN honors over 700 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

2019 Solution Provider 500

The Solution Provider 500 is our annual listing of the top solution provider organizations in North America, ranked by revenue.

Lenovo's New ThinkBook, ThinkCentre Nano Prove The Power Of Innovation

Lenovo has launched a new notebook brand as well as a new product category within the desktop PC market.

Tech 10: Getting Smart About Advanced Threat Protection

These 10 offerings thwart the most insidious ransomware and zero-day threats through sandboxing, shared intelligence and automated processes.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Vendor Talk Of Partner Engagement Needs To Be Flipped

When the channel matters to a vendor's CEO, it matters to everyone inside the organization.

Burke: How Champions Of Change Became An HPE Greenlake Superstar

Champions of Change, an Australian strategic service provider, delivered the first GreenLake Flex Capacity 3.0 channel pay-per-use deal.

April 2019

2019 Partner Program Guide

The 2019 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate IT vendors they work with or are considering working with. The guide is based on detailed applications submitted by over 270 vendors, outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

2019 Internet Of Things 50: IoT's Next Chapter

The need for solution providers to guide companies through IoT projects—from the procurement of hardware and sensors to the monitoring and management of new systems—is greater than ever before. Here are CRN's picks for the 50 coolest IoT companies of the year that solution providers can look to for a leg up.

2019 Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada who have the highest level and most certifications from Amazon, Cisco, Dell, HPE, Oracle and VMware.

Tech Ten: 10 Coolest Business-Friendly Devices For Mobile Workers

Business-friendly smartphones, portable laptops, tablets and a variety of accessories make mobility a gamechanger in any business environment.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Politics, The Cloud, Edge And Creative Destruction

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra cautions against listening to politicians when they talk about the evils of high-tech.

Burke: The True Cost Of Public Cloud

CRN's Steve Burke says it's vital for companies to have trusted cloud advisers to determine which solution will provide the most value.

February 2019

Channel Chiefs

Our 2019 Channel Chief honorees are selected by CRN's editorial staff on the basis of their professional achievements, standing in the industry, dedication to the channel partner community and strategies for driving future growth and innovation.

Cloud 100

The 2019 installment of CRN's 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors highlights the best of the best in cloud infrastructure, security, software, platforms and storage.

Security 100

In its fourth year, CRN's annual Security 100 gives solution providers a clear path to navigate the fast-growing security vendor market.

MSP 500

CRN's Managed Service Provider 500 list recognizes the top technology providers and consultants in North America whose forward-thinking approach to providing managed services is changing the landscape of the IT channel.

2019 Data Center 50 (Online-only)

CRN's Data Center 50 list highlights the key companies evolving and powering today's data centers through innovative offerings.

10 Software-Defined Storage Pioneers That Are Shaking Things Up

Here are 10 software-defined storage offerings that can help customers see lower costs and increased flexibility.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Taking Down Amazon's Public Cloud Business

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra says the battle for supremacy in the cloud market continues to heat up.

Burke: Strategic Service Providers See Astronomical Growth Through Recurring Revenue

CRN's Steve Burke highlights the off-the-charts recurring revenue growth being driven by strategic service providers.

December 2018

CRN's 2018 Products Of The Year

CRN editors looked at the best new products and major updates of 2018 and then turned to solution providers to choose the winners based on technology, revenue and profit opportunities, and customer demand.

2018 Tech Innovators Awards

The ability to translate a future-facing view of technology into reality today is the crowning achievement of this year's Tech Innovator winners.

2018 Next-Gen 250

The Next Gen 250 list recognizes standout IT solution providers who have successfully transformed their businesses to meet the demands of emerging technologies such as cloud computing, IoT, virtualization, mobility, business analytics and business intelligence.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Why Doesn't Anyone Talk About IBM Anymore?

The Channel Company's Executive Chairman Robert Faletra covered IBM during the 1980s, and now he wonders why the technology giant no longer wants to step to the forefront and be part of the conversation.

October 2018

100 People You Don't Know But Should 2018

CRN salutes the under-the-radar players that make sure solution provider partnerships thrive and channel business gets done.

2018 Annual Report Card

For the 33rd year, solution providers scored vendors in 24 product categories based on their performance in product innovation, support and partnership.

Cloud Partner Programs Guide

CRN's annual Cloud Partner Program Guide provides partners with the insight needed to navigate through the crowded cloud vendor landscape and identify the vendors that best meet the needs of their customers.

CRN's 2018 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN recognizes the 46 organizations that earned a spot on all three of our solution provider lists this year with the annual Triple Crown honors.

Tech 10: Wrestling With The Big(ger) Data Challenge

CRN highlights 10 new software offerings for managing and analyzing data that's moving faster and exploding in volume.

COLUMNS

Faletra: The Economy Is Humming -- So Let The Good Times Roll

Now is the time for strategic solution providers to double down on sales and execution.

August 2018

2018 Network Connectivity Partner Program Guide

CRN's 2018 Network Connectivity Services Partner Program Guide is meant to highlight some of the industry's leading portfolios of telecom, cloud and connectivity offerings.

2018 Emerging Vendors

CRN shines a light on some of the most exciting new channel-focused vendors helping create new solutions for business and opportunity for solution providers.

The 2018 Fast Growth 150

CRN's 2018 Fast Growth 150 ranks solution providers with gross annual sales of at least $1 million by their two-year growth rate.

The 10 Top Hyper-Converged Platforms Of 2018 (So Far)

Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) combines storage, computing, networking and software into a single system aimed at reducing complexity and boosting scalability.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Back To The Future With Channel Structure--Not Really

For the vendor and partner community alike, it's important to gauge where the market is headed to react and capitalize on the future structure.

June 2018

2018 Women of the Channel

This year, CRN honors more than 600 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

2018 Solution Provider 500

CRN's Solution Provider 500 ranks the top integrators, service providers and IT consultants in North America by services revenue.

COLUMNS

Robert Faletra: Using IT As A Competitive Sales Weapon

Solution providers have the advantage of understanding IT threats and should use it when appropriate as a selling technique.

April 2018

FEATURES

Cover Story: Riding The SD-WAN Rocket Ship

When a technology can completely change the way a business operates, you'd better get on board. Solution providers are calling SD-WAN the biggest sales driver in almost two decades.

Tech 10: Cool Devices For A Mobile Workforce

CRN rounds up 10 of the latest devices -- from business-friendly smartphones to portable and always-connected laptops and tablets to accessories -- for getting the job done.

2018 Partner Program Guide

The 2018 Partner Program Guide is based on detailed applications submitted by over 270 vendors, outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

The 2018 Security 100

In its third year, CRN's annual Security 100 gives solution providers a clear path to navigate the fast-growing security vendor market.

MSSP Superstar Michael Knight: Slow And Steady Wins The Managed Security Services Race

Encore Technology Group President and CTO Michael Knight said partners looking to break into the MSSP space should examine where their talent is today, what they can do that's repeatable, and what they have to change.

2018 Internet Of Things 50

CRN presents the 2018 Internet Of Things 50, a list of the coolest vendors in security, hardware, industrial IoT, and software and services.

The 2018 Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers who have the highest level and most certifications from the industry's leading vendors.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Advancing Technology Threatens Public Cloud And Stymies Politicians

Hyper-converged infrastructure and software-defined networking are changing the cloud dynamics. On-premises may actually prove to be more cost-effective than pure public cloud deployments.

Burke: Tips From A Channel Jedi Master

LogicMonitor's David Powell shares his practical guide for channel success.

February 2018

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2018

The 2018 installment of CRN's 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors highlights the best of the best in cloud infrastructure, platforms and development, security, storage and software.

The 2018 Managed Service Provider 500

CRN again assembles the Managed Service Provider 500, an annual list that recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services.

The 2018 Data Center 100

The data center evolution shows no signs of slowing down, but how do solution providers quickly adapt their business models and keep an eye out for innovation at the same time? That's where the Data Center 100 list can help.

2018 Channel Chiefs

Check out the 2018 Channel Chiefs, CRN's annual list of the top channel executives, sortable by name or company.

Cloud Cornerstones: 19 New Ways To Connect Storage To AWS

The cloud is becoming an ever-more important part of the definition of data protection, disaster recovery and archiving, and these 19 vendors are helping partners utilize AWS in their storage infrastructures.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Tim Cook's Apple Looks A Lot Different Than Steve Jobs'

In the Tim Cook era, Apple has pivoted from a product-driven company with excellent marketing to a marketing-driven company with mediocre products.

Burke: Spectre And Meltdown: Rating The Vendors

Google, Cisco, Intel and Red Hat came out on top in a CRN survey of vendor response to the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities.

December 2017

Innovating Around The Edge: 5 Sharp Companies Making Their Mark

CRN highlights five companies that are creating innovative and unique edge computing offerings for partners and customers.

CRN's 2017 Products Of The Year

For this year's Products Of The Year, CRN editors selected five product finalists among 20 top technology categories for the IT channel. After a survey that netted more than 4,000 responses, here are the hot products that stood out from the rest in 2017.

2017 Internet Of Things 50

For solution providers just getting into the IoT arena to those already building their business around the technology, here is CRN’s list of the 50 coolest companies in security, hardware, industrial IoT, and software and services.

The 2017 Tech Innovator Awards

The ability to translate a future-facing view of technology into reality today is the crowning achievement of this year's Tech Innovator winners. Here's who has provided that spark this year.

2017 Storage Emerging Vendors

As part of CRN's Emerging Vendors for 2017, here are 30 hot storage startups, founded in 2011 or later, that solution providers should be aware of.

2017 Next Gen 250

The Next Gen 250 list recognizes standout IT solution providers who have successfully transformed their businesses to meet the demands of emerging technologies.

COLUMNS

Faletra: 2018 Forecast: Prepare For A Tech Acquisition Blizzard

With increasing private equity interest and corporate tax cuts in sight, 2018 is shaping up to be a record year on the M&A front in tech.

Lessons In Leadership: Meg Whitman Saved HP And HPE

For HP And HPE partners, there's no question who is responsible one of the all-time great turnarounds in corporate history - Meg Whitman.

October 2017

2017 Annual Report Card

For the 32nd year, solution providers scored vendors in 22 product categories based on their performance in product innovation, support and partnership.

On Top Of The Clouds

CRN's annual Cloud Partner Program Guide provides partners with the insight needed to navigate through the crowded cloud vendor landscape and identify the vendors that best meet the needs of their customers.

Emerging Vendors

Hot startups in even hotter technologies: networking/VoIP and the Internet of Things.

Three Steps Ahead: CRN's 2017 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN assembles a number of lists and rankings throughout the year, including the Solution Provider 500, the Fast Growth 150 and the Tech Elite 250. CRN recognizes the 40 solution providers that earned a spot on all three lists this year with the annual Triple Crown honors.

100 People You Don't Know But Should

CRN salutes the under-the-radar players that make sure solution provider partnerships thrive and channel business gets done.

Tech 10: Big Doings In Big Data

CRN highlights 10 offerings and industry developments that provide new ways to manage and analyze big data.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Beating Up On Market Development Funds

With the pace of change in the market and the need to cut costs and drive revenue, MDF scrutiny is going to increase.

Burke: IoT Is Taking Off: But You Must Make The Big Investments To Score

All of the recent paradigm shifts in IT pale in comparison to the Internet of Things, a transformation that requires solution providers to make significant investments in order to reap the rewards.

August 2017

Channel Icon Frank Vitagliano To Be Inducted Into IT Hall Of Fame

Vitagliano, a channel legend and current CEO of Computex, will accept the honor at The Channel Company's XChange 2017 conference being held next month in Orlando, Fla.

Cover Story: All The Right Moves: Michael Dell Leads The CRN 2017 Top 100 Executives Pack

Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell's agility, adaptability and willingness to buck the status quo put him at the top of the class in this year's Top 100 Executives.

The Top 100 Executives Of 2017

Here we present the CRN Top 100 Executives of 2017 list, the fastest-moving executives in a market moving at warp speed.

Network Connectivity Partner Programs

CRN's 2017 Network Connectivity Services Partner Program Guide is meant to highlight some of the industry's leading portfolios of telecom, cloud and connectivity offerings. It also recognizes those industry players who seem ready, willing and able to help partners wrap their arms around IT-Telecom convergence, and the many moving parts it entails.

2017 Emerging Vendors

In the IT industry, shattering the status quo is the status quo. While big vendors generate their share of ground-breaking products, startups are a major driver of innovation and are changing the rules of the game.

The Power Of Marketing

The 2017 Fast Growth 250 shows the channel in a state of serious flux, fueled by cloud computing, IoT, mobility and other disruptive technologies.

The 2017 Fast Growth 150

The Fast Growth 150 is CRN's annual ranking of the channel's most rapidly expanding solution providers, technology integrators, IT consultants and strategic service providers in North America. The list requires companies report gross sales of at least $1 million, and then ranks them according to their two-year growth rate.

COLUMNS

Burke: Small Business-Minded: Linksys Arms Its Partners With Enterprise Tech At SMB Price Points

Linksys has long been known has a company capable of delivering enterprise-class products at SMB prices, but since being acquired by Belkin, it has significantly upped its investments in technology innovation and partner program improvement.

Faletra: Is Marketing A Make Or Buy Decision?

The business of selling technology is evolving so rapidly that SSPs have to invest in how they convey their brand in the market. But that proposes a legitimate question: Are you better off buying your marketing from experts or assembling an in-house team?

June 2017

2017 Women of the Channel

This year, CRN honors more than 500 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

Solution Provider 500

The Solution Provider 500 is our annual listing of the top solution provider organizations in North America, ranked by revenue.

2017 Emerging Vendors

While big vendors generate their share of ground-breaking products, startups are a major driver of innovation and are changing the rules of the game.

COLUMNS

Faletra: What Is High-Tech's Obligation In The War On Terror?

With the acceleration in terrorist attacks around the world, it can't be long before the debate escalates and pressure rises on those companies whose products and services are being used to plan, communicate and execute these horrendous crimes against innocent people.

Burke: The Digital Marketing Era: Why It's Do-Or-Die Time For The Channel

Solution providers that are not arming themselves with digital marketing demand generation expertise are at a serious risk of losing customers, and they might not even realize it until it's too late.

April 2017

Partner Program Guide

The 2017 Partner Program Guide is based on detailed applications submitted by over 250 vendors, outlining all aspects of their partner programs.

The Security 100

The 2017 installment of CRN's Security 100 highlights the best of the best in network security, SIEM and threat detection, web, email and application security, and identity management and data protection.

Sharpening Their Skills: The Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada who have the highest partner levels from Amazon, Cisco, Google, HPE, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Trend Micro and VMware. Here is a sampling of that list.

Tech 10: Cool Products To Transform The Modern Workplace Into A Mobile One

This month's Tech 10 looks at the latest mobile devices that are carving big roles in the enterprise.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Using Marketing To Get To The 'As A Service' End Game

Strategic service providers can't afford to be viewed as old-school on-premise infrastructure players. Rebuilding the legacy brand to present a leadership player capable of bringing the customer to the new compute model is the key first step to the 'as a service' end game.

Burke: Welcome To The Rise Of The Strategic Service Provider Business

The strategic service provider shift is forcing cloud services companies, including Google, to step up to the plate with new channel models.

February 2017

Q&A: KKR's Herald Chen On Why Private Equity Sees The Channel As A 'Great Value Proposition'

KKR executive Herald Chen spoke with CRN about why the opportunity is greater than ever for an investment in a solution provider company like Optiv Security and what value private equity in turn can bring to the channel.

Channel Chiefs 2017

Here we present the 2017 Channel Chiefs, CRN's annual list of the top channel executives and what they've been doing to ready their channel programs for 2017.

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2017

The 2017 installment of CRN's 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors highlights the best of the best in cloud infrastructure, platforms and development, security, storage and software.

Data Center 100

Broken into five categories, the DC 100 highlights the providers that represent their respective fields with a combination of innovation, market share, and technology and channel capabilities.

Managed Service Provider 500

CRN's fourth annual Managed Service Provider 500 recognizes recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services.

Tech 10: Crossing The Chasm From Consumer Storage To Business

CRN looks at 10 products that combine the ease of use expected in consumer storage devices with the robust reliability and functionality demanded of business-class storage devices.

COLUMNS

Faletra; Why It's Time For Tim Cook To Step Down

While no one expected Tim Cook to be Steve Jobs, the expectation was that he would surround himself with people who would make up for his weaknesses in the visionary areas that Jobs excelled at.

Burke: There's Never Been A Better Time To Invest In The Channel

Tech vendors can learn a lot from the massive bets private equity firms are placing on the channel - an all-time high at more than $25 billion in 2016.

December 2016

Products Of The Year

For this year's Products of the Year, CRN editors selected five finalists among 17 technology categories and then asked solution providers to rate the products to determine a winner. Here are the hot products that stood out from the rest in 2016.

The Internet Of Things 50

The Internet of Things market is quickly moving beyond smart homes and automated cars to the enterprise and verticals where solution providers play a big role. And many vendors across the spectrum are actively looking for partners to customize their offerings and deliver innovative solutions.

Tech Innovator Awards

The 2016 Tech Innovator Awards honor vendors in 28 categories, with the winners and finalists chosen from among 230 applicants in areas ranging from cloud to security to networking to mobile.

Faces Of The 2016 Next-Gen 250

Here we present 25 companies on CRN's 2016 Next-Gen 250 list, a spotlight shined on 250 solution providers born since 2000.

The Enterprise App Awards

CRN editors honor 14 apps that are pushing forward innovation in enterprise mobility.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Dell's Marius Haas: This Guy Can Work A Crowd

The Channel Company has been running events for more than 25 years, yet it's still impressive to see a vendor executive with the capacity to network with the crowd and actually use an event to foster relationships with solution providers.

Burke: Channel 2017: 'Don't Guess. Assess The Mess.'

Placing a sharp focus on a no-holds-barred unique consulting methodology is key to the success of any and all solution providers in 2017.

October 2016

Tech 10: The Big Data Software Boom

Here are 10 products and solutions that provide new ways for solution providers to manage and analyze the explosion of big data

100 People You Don't Know But Should

CRN salutes the under-the-radar players that make sure solution provider partnerships thrive and channel business gets done.

2016 Annual Report Card

The competition was as heated as ever in CRN's 2016 Annual Report Card with industry leaders continuing to dominate some product categories and new vendors making their marks in others. See how solution providers graded their vendor partners on product innovation, support and partnership.

IT Hall Of Fame: How Jim Dixon Put Customers First And Turned CompuCom Into A Services Giant

Jim Dixon transformed CompuCom from selling PCs in retail stores to a $2.2 billion reccuring revenue behemoth thanks to a conservative cost structure, tight-knit client relationships and fierce employee loyalty.

Cloud Partner Programs Guide

Innovative cloud partner programs are key to solution provider success. These vendors are addressing today's pain points.

Rising To The Challenge: CRN's 2016 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN assembles a number of lists and rankings throughout the year, including the Solution Provider 500, the Fast Growth 150 and the Tech Elite 250. CRN recognizes the 48 solution providers that earned a spot on all three lists this year with the third-annual Triple Crown honors.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Distribution Consolidation And The Expansion Of Distribution

The recent news that Tech Data would acquire Avnet's Technology Solutions business comes on the heels of Ingram Micro's announced sale of its entire business to a China-based logistics conglomerate.

Burke: A Secure Future

When a major insurance provider had millions of dollars in policies put at risk because its IT department did not have a rigorous SOC 2 compliance report, it turned to one of the top MSPs in the Midwest.

August 2016

Why App Development Is The Key To Unlocking The IoT Vault

Solution providers are staffing up with application developers, aiming to monetize on the Internet of Things with packaged solutions for vertical industries.

Tech 10: Making 'Software-Defined' A Reality

CRN looks at 10 technologies that are advancing the still-elusive, but someday-to-be-ubiquitous, software-defined data center.

2016 Emerging Vendors

Each year, CRN looks at the hot IT startups making an impact on the channel.

The Top 100 Executives Of 2016

Here we present the CRN Top 100 Executives of 2016 list, the fastest-moving executives in a market moving at warp speed.

2016 Network Connectivity Partner Programs Guide

The industry's leading portfolios of telecom, cloud and connectivity offerings.

2016 Fast Growth 150

The Fast Growth 150 is CRN's annual ranking of the fastest growing solution providers, resellers, technology integrators and IT consultants in North America.

2016 Partner Marketing Guide

CRN's 2016 CRN Partner Marketing Guide lists marketing programs that vendors offer to VARs, providing support, services and capabilities to the indirect IT channel.

2016 Emerging Vendors: The Innovation Drivers

In the IT industry, shattering the status quo is the status quo. While big vendors generate their share of ground-breaking products, startups are a major driver of innovation and are changing the rules of the game.

Connectivity: The Great Cloud Services Enabler

Cloud services offer the promise of lucrative, monthly recurring revenue, but solution providers always need to be able to offer a full IT solution to their customers. To that end, connectivity services are critical: Customers can't reach the cloud without it.

COLUMNS

Burke: Why NWN Is All Business When It Comes To The Cloud

NWN recently launched a new entity, NCapital, aimed at providing the financial muscle and technology know-how for customers to move to the cloud without making capital expenditures.

Faletra: The Time Is Now For Tim Cook To Think Different

Five years into his reign at the helm of Apple, CEO Tim Cook and the Apple board need to start "thinking different" about the channel and the company's entire approach to the market.

June 2016

The 2016 Solution Provider 500

The Solution Provider 500 is our annual listing of the top solution provider organizations in North America, ranked by revenue.

Growth Engine: The 2016 Solution Provider 500

The channel is undergoing a significant evolution as VARs and solution providers morph into strategic service providers: independent trusted technology consultants that drive business outcomes with an emphasis on cloud and managed services delivered through a recurring revenue model.

2016 Women of the Channel

This year, CRN honors nearly 500 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

Mind The Gap: Execs Say Gender Gap In IT Is Closing, But Work Isn't Done Yet

The gender gap within the IT industry is narrowing. Women of the Channel executives say that mentoring, creating a personal brand, and promoting a flexible office environment will help close the gap for good.

COLUMNS

Burke: Sales-Engaged: HPE's Whitman Leads The Class Of CEO Sales Communicators

CRN's Steve Burke ranks the industry's top CEOs when it comes to communicating their sales strategy to channel partners.

Faletra: Why Cisco's Chuck Robbins Is Able To Move So Fast

Nearly a year into his role at the helm of Cisco, Chuck Robbins is proving the value of choosing a new CEO from within when it comes to a company of Cisco's size.

April 2016

10 Signs Of Telecom Turmoil

The telecom industry is in a state of flux as customers demand cloud and strategic IT services, in addition to connectivity.

Partner Programs Guide

The 2016 Partner Programs Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the IT vendors they work with or are considering working with.

2016 Partner Programs Guide: A Blueprint For Partnerships

CRN's annual Partner Programs Guide offers solution providers the information they need to evaluate the IT vendors they already work with or are considering partnering with.

The 2016 Security 100

CRN's Security 100 highlights the best of the best in endpoint protection, SIEM and threat detection, network security, identity management, and application security.

2016 Virtualization 50

From server virtualization to hyper-converged infrastructure, the Virtualization 50 celebrates the vendors tackling the different facets of virtualization technologies.

Sharpening Their Skills: The 2016 CRN Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada who have the highest level and most certifications from Cisco, Citrix, Dell, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, NetApp, Symantec and VMware. Here is a sampling of that list.

COLUMNS

Decision Disconnect: Many Vendors Fail To Recognize The Partner Journey

86 percent of solution providers are planning to add a new vendor or a technology practice in 2016, but most vendors are in the dark when it comes to the partner's decision making process.

A Race To The Bottom In Cloud Infrastructure

Partners that have a single supplier face a significant revenue risk in the event that supplier decides to sell off its data center assets to a company that is either unfriendly toward the channel or just doesn't understand it.

February 2016

How Partners Are Separating Politics From Business

By taking a nonpartisan stance, solution providers are reaping lucrative rewards this election season.

Microsoft Acquires Mobile Cross-Platform Development Startup Xamarin

Xamarin's technology lets developers build native iOS and Android apps using Microsoft's C# programming language, which means they can write one set of code and use it for apps targeting multiple platforms.

2016 Channel Chiefs

Meet the executives responsible for running channels at vendors in the IT market today.

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2016

The 2016 installment of CRN's 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors highlights the best of the best in cloud infrastructure, platforms and development, security, storage and software.

The 2016 Data Center 100

Broken into five categories, the annual Data Center 100 highlights the providers that represent their respective fields with a combination of innovation, market share, market presence, buzz, technology capabilities and channel capabilities.

CRN's 2016 Managed Service Provider 500

CRN has assembled the 2016 Managed Service Provider 500, an annual list that recognizes North American solution providers with cutting-edge approaches to delivering managed services.

COLUMNS

What Ingram's Sale Says About The Distribution World

With news of Ingram Micro's plans to become part of China-based HNA Group comes speculation over what it means to the industry, government contracts serviced via Ingram, and to the distribution business as a whole.

Why Building An App Services Fortress Will Be Key To Winning In The New Channel Era

The strategic service provider era marks a major shift in the channel, one where the winners and losers will be determined by the ability to provide application modernization.

December 2015

The CRN Test Center's 2015 Products Of The Year

To find CRN Test Center gold we tinkered, tested and sometimes got tough with the best 2015 had to offer when it came to tech. From big iron to thin and light, we reviewed close to 100 products over the past year and present the gear that had the just-right mix of wow and practical business applications.

The 2015 Tech Innovator Awards

The CRN Test Center scrutinized products within 19 categories of IT and evaluated each based on its ability to increase worker productivity and reduce cost and complexity for solution providers, IT departments and end users through innovation and technical advancement.

The 2015 Enterprise App Awards

The winners of the 2015 Enterprise App Awards were carefully chosen by CRN editors and represent both the heavy hitters of the IT industry and the lesser known startups that are driving innovation.

Racing To The Top: CRN's 2015 Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN assembles a number of lists and rankings throughout the year, including the Solution Provider 500, the Fast Growth 150 and the Tech Elite 250. CRN recognizes the 57 solution providers that earned a spot on all three lists this year with the second-annual Triple Crown honors.

The 2015 Internet Of Things 50

The Internet of Things market is exploding, with an estimated $19 trillion opportunity up for grabs. CRN has compiled its inaugural list of 50 companies who are building tailored-made IoT solutions that channel partners need to know.

COLUMNS

Burke: The Right Play: Strategic Service Providers

The key metrics necessary to succeed in the Strategic Service Provider era are diametrically opposed to the metrics in the solution provider era.

Faletra: What's In A Name? Welcome To The Strategic Service Provider Era

The Strategic Service Provider model represents solution providers who become strategic partners to customers by recommending and implementing everthing from communication providers to which application, platform and hardware providers to depend on.

October 2015

100 People You Don't Know But Should

Here we present our annual honoring of the channel management executives who may have slipped under the radar despite building booming channel programs, designing innovative partner incentives, evangelizing hot technology and much more.

Cloud Partner Programs Guide

CRN spotlights those companies devoting significant resources to their cloud partner programs and backing up partners with training, support and financial incentives.

2015 Annual Report Card

Solution providers across America put on their thinking caps and graded their IT vendors across 22 product categories as part of CRN's Annual Report Card, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

A Quick Study: The 2015 Fast Growth 150

When it comes to managing the rapid growth they've experienced, this year's Fast Growth solution providers can sum up their success strategies in one word: focus.

Fast Growth 2015

The Fast Growth 150 is CRN's annual ranking of the fastest growing solution providers, resellers, technology integrators and IT consultants in North America.

Time Warner Cable Making Big Channel Investments As It Mounts Partner Recruitment Offensive

Time Warner Cable (TWC) is on a channel tear, doubling its channel budget in the last 18 months as part of an all-out IT solution provider recruitment binge.

Tech 10: Big Developments In Big Data

Technology in big data management and analysis continues to evolve at a break-neck pace. Here's 10 recent product launches and key upgrades that you need to know about.

COLUMNS

Honesty Is The Best Policy: What's The Big Secret With Surface?

When Microsoft launched its Surface tablet and decided it was going to be a direct-sale-only product, with no offering it to customers through the channel, it was a point of contention.

Symantec Is Going Back To The Future

Symantec CEO Mike Brown must feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders now that his company is focused squarely on the red-hot security market.

August 2015

The Top 100 Executives Of 2015

CRN's Top 100 Executives Of 2015 honors the tech CEOs that are best at navigating a market that is transforming at a blinding speed.

2015 Network Connectivity Partner Programs

Our directory of enterprise connectivity vendor's partner programs.

2015 Emerging Vendors

This year's edition of the CRN Emerging Vendors list has more than 180 companies, all with something going for them.

Meet The Up-And-Comers

Our Emerging Vendors are actively working with channel partners in North America.

Next-Gen 250: Ahead Of The Curve

We present the 2015 CRN Next-Gen 250, the annual list of solution providers that are setting the pace for the rest of the channel in meeting customers' ever-evolving IT needs.

Faces Of The 2015 Next-Gen 250

Here we present 25 companies on CRN's 2015 Next-Gen 250 list, a spotlight shined on 250 solution providers born since 2005.

The 10 Coolest Servers Of 2015 (So Far)

It's been an interesting year so far in the server market as the industry's top players ramp up and scale out their offerings as they try to capitalize on the red-hot hyper-converged market and customers' desire to drive down costs.

COLUMNS

Faletra: The Clouds Of The Future: Where Does The Channel Stand?

The move to cloud-based computing is rapidly becoming a reality for businesses in all markets, opening the door for startups and leaving hardware-infrastructure-focused vendors without clear cloud strategies in the dust.

June 2015

Three Department Of Defense ELAs That Worked Out -- And One That Didn't

VMware's 2013 enterprise licensing agreement with the U.S. Army led to larger-than-expected bills for some subordinate commands, but there have been some DoD ELAs that have worked out quite well.

Is The Cloud Going To Make ELAs Obsolete?

According to licensing experts CRN spoke with, the cloud model isn't the cost-control panacea some ELA-weary customers might think it is.

Women of the Channel

CRN honors 440 women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition

The 2015 Solution Provider 500

The Solution Provider 500 is our annual ranking of the top solution provider organizations in North America, ranked by revenue.

Big Data 100

The CRN Big Data 100 recognizes vendors that have demonstrated an ability to innovate in bringing to market products and services that help businesses work with big data.

COLUMNS

Faletra: Both Sides Of The Fence: Why The Hybrid Solution Provider Model Works Best

The reality is that the cloud model, while exciting and a better place to be over the long term, is not going to be the only way to deploy IT for a very long time.

Burke: A Modern Solution Provider's Metrics For Success In The Cloud Era

TekLinks metric for success is staying close to its customers and acting as a strategic solution provider for whatever is going to drive value in the increasingly complex cloud-hybrid IT era.

April 2015

5 Things That Could Go Wrong With The HP Split

HP laid out the challenges it will face with its upcoming split in a filing with the SEC last month. Here are five "risk factors" associated with the split.

2015 Partner Programs Guide

The 2015 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate the IT vendors they work with or are considering working with.

Stand By Me: The Power Of Partnerships

The technology landscape is transforming so quickly that it's hard for any business—vendor or solution provider—to keep up with the pace of change. But one thing remains constant: the power of partnerships.

Partner Programs Guide: Distributors

Here we present the distributors and their programs worthy of making the 2015 Partner Program Guide.

Best Of The Best: 2015 Channel Champions

Solution providers and vendors gathered in Dallas recently for XChange Solution Provider 2015. XChange also was the venue for CRN's 25th annual Channel Champions awards. Here are the victors in each technology category.

Difference Makers: The 2015 CRN Tech Elite 250

IT skills can go stale very, very quickly and the solution providers on CRN's Tech Elite 250 know this better than anyone.

Honing Their Technology Edge: CRN Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers who differentiate themselves by investing in certifications in the area of infrastructure, including data center, storage and virtualization. Here is a sampling of that list.

Tech 10: Security Products For Data Protection, Email, Web Security

These 10 products add to traditional data loss prevention, antispam and website security capabilities, improving insight into weaknesses often targeted by attackers.

COLUMNS

Burke: Is Hardware Success The Solution Provider's Worst Enemy?

No matter how fast you are moving to transform your business in the cloud services era, the depressing reality is you are not moving fast enough.

Faletra: Woody Allen Was Right About The Channel

Making it happen in the channel is about relationships. It's earned through hard work, a lot of airport food and time away from home.

February 2015

Take Notice: 6 Security Startups Shaking Up The Industry

Is the IT security market too crowded? These startups certainly don't think so. Here are six security startups worthy of the channel's attention.

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors

The 2015 installment of the 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors highlights the best of the best in infrastructure, platforms and development, security, storage and software.

The Data Center 100

CRN's annual Data Center 100 highlights the providers that combine innovation, market share, market presence, buzz, technology and channel capabilities

Channel Chiefs 2015

Meet the executives responsible for running channels at vendors in the IT market today.

Managed Service Provider 500

CRN's annual MSP 500 list recognizes those companies whose approach to managed services is one innovative step ahead.

10 Storage Industry Shifts For 2015

CRN looks through the crystal ball and offers 10 predictions for the storage industry for 2015.

COLUMNS

The Perfect Fit: Looking For A Channel Chief

Channel Chiefs, the really good ones, are crucial to the success of the tech industry, and often don't get the credit they deserve.

Living On Borrowed Time: Why Channel By Convenience Is Dead

If you need proof that the solution provider landscape is changing, look no further than the merger of Accuvant and FishNet, creating a $1.5 billion security giant with 1,400 employees.

December 2014

Tech 10: Must-See Cloud Solutions Transforming Business

The CRN Test Center presents 10 cloud solutions that are transforming the way organizations conduct business.

Racing To The Top: CRN's Triple Crown Award Winners

CRN assembles a number of lists and rankings throughout the year, including the Solution Provider 500, the Fast Growth 150 and the Tech Elite 250. CRN recognizes the 26 solution providers that did earned a spot on all three lists with our first-ever Triple Crown honors.

Products of the Year

The technological leaps and bounds continue as the CRN Test Center faces the tough task of selecting the best products to come through its labs this year. This is one winner's circle with a big wow factor.

The 2014 Enterprise App Awards

Apps are the gifts that keep on giving to every enterprise worker. The CRN Test Center hands out Appy honors in 10 categories, as well as an Editors' Choice.

Tech Innovators 2014

The CRN Test Center's Tech Innovator Award program recognizes companies for outstanding innovation in products developed for the enterprise. Here we present to you the The 2014 Tech Innovators.

COLUMNS

Faletra: The Birth Of The Strategic Service Provider

If you are running a solution provider business today that is not driving 51 percent of profit from the service side of the house, you need to take a hard look at your business.

Burke: The Partner Bubble: Why An Outdated Channel View Is Hobbling AWS

Amazon is missing out on a big chunk of the enterprise-class data center market largely because it has failed to look beyond its born-in-the-cloud partners.

October 2014

Fast Growth 2014: The Top 25

Successful solution providers know that times of change create opportunities. The solution providers on this year's Fast Growth 150 list are doing just that.

100 People You Don't Know But Should 2014

CRN looks at the under-the-radar players that make sure solution provider partnerships thrive and business gets done.

Annual Report Card

CRN has been polling solution providers for 29 years for their take on the strengths and weaknesses of the IT vendors they work with.

2014 Cloud Partner Programs Guide

CRN's first-ever Cloud Partner Program Guide highlights those companies with the right programs in place to help solution providers kick things into high gear.

Where Is The Cloud Taking Business?

For solution providers specializing in the cloud computing market, business is growing at breakneck pace.

Tech 10: Virtualization Products That Are Making Data Centers More Efficient

CRN looks at some of the hottest virtualization products for streamlining data centers and making them more productive.

COLUMNS

Burke: Moving Beyond The Managed Service Provider Model

As managed services become increasingly viewed as a commodity, the time is now to transform into a recurring revenue services business that capitalizes on next-generation cloud-based vendors.

Faletra: The Internet Of Stupid Things

Every once in a while something comes along that is so preposterous it's silly and, dare I say it, stupid.

August 2014

The CRN Top 100

Combine a tech market that is rapidly discarding old business models with the damage done by a rogue former government contractor and you have what may well be the most treacherous terrain ever faced by technology CEOs.

The Most Influential Of 2014: Edward Snowden

This year no one person has rattled the worldwide technology market, its vendors, vendors' partners, and business owners large and small more than Edward Snowden.

Emerging Vendors

Our list of more than 350 emerging tech startups in 2014.

IT-Telecom Convergence: So Many Moving Parts

As IT networking and telecom vendors expand into new markets or offer new technologies, solution providers must constantly evaluate—and re-evaluate—which vendors they should be partnering with.

Network Connectivity Partner Programs

The industry's leading portfolios of telecom, cloud and connectivity offerings.

Hitting The Mark: The 2014 Next-Gen 250

In today's rough-and-tumble IT market, offering ground-breaking technologies or adopting the latest business practices is almost a requirement rather than providing a solution provider with a competitive edge.

Faces of the Next Gen 250

Solution providers that are setting the pace for the rest of the channel.

Tech 10: Software Blockbusters In The Data Center

While hardware fills all that data center space, it is the software behind it, including data center infrastructure management (DCIM) and other applications, that makes it all run efficiently.

COLUMNS

Cisco's Strategy And Future Have Never Been Less Clear

Cisco is a hardware company that is facing a software challenge as the move toward a software-defined network strikes at the heart of its business model.

Channel Chameleons: Why More Vendors Are Hiding Their True Colors

When vendors are under intense pressure, solution providers are always the first to fall subject to the whims of top management aiming for short-term transaction gains rather than long-term strategic strength.

June 2014

2014 Solution Provider 500

The top solution provider organizations in North America, ranked by revenue.

SP 500: As Good As It Gets

This year's Solution Provider 500 companies have managed not only to survive-but thrive-by specializing in cloud computing, converged infrastructure, big data analytics and more.

SP 500: 62 Newcomers

Among the companies named to this year's Solution Provider 500 are 62 companies that are new to the list.

2014 Women of the Channel

This year, CRN honors 295 Women of the Channel whose expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

2014 Women Of The Channel: The Value Of A Good Mentor

CRN speaks with Women of the Channel executives about the mentoring programs at their companies and the many professional—and personal—rewards.

Tech 10: Advanced Threat Protection, Incident Response

These 10 security vendors specialize in providing assistance throughout the entire life span of an attack from rapidly detecting a threat to containment and providing information to digital forensics investigators.

The 15 Most Popular IT Certifications For 2014

Take a look at the 15 most popular certifications, how much money they make and why IT professionals say they are key to have as part of the solution provider portfolio.

2014 Virtualization 50

CRN presents its annual list of the virtualization vendors -- established players and the startups – that need to be on the channel's radar.

Virtualization And Beyond: The 2014 Virtualization 50

Virtualization, whether in terms of servers, storage, networking and applications, is now table stakes for the channel.

COLUMNS

Burke: The Cloud Vital Signs: Are You Digging Your Own Grave?

The amount of new practices, products and recurring revenue services brought to market are the vital signs of a solution provider business.

Faletra: 10 Tips For A Successful IT Channel

Here are the top priorities partners should focus on to determine a vendor's commitment, and suppliers can use to assess their own programs.

April 2014

2014 Channel Champions

Channel Champion award winning vendors were chosen based on the scores provided by 6,000 solution providers across a wide range of technologies.

2014 Partner Program Guide

The 2014 Partner Program Guide offers the information solution providers need to evaluate IT vendors they work with or are considering working with.

Tech 10: Terrific Tablets For 2014

Speed, design and innovation continues to be defining factors driving the 2014 tablet market. Here are 10 tablets that are sure to make noise this year.

They Aced The Test: CRN Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of solution providers in the U.S. and Canada who have the highest level and most certifications from the top vendors. Here is a sampling of that list.

COLUMNS

Place Your Bets: The Cloud Business Window Is Closing

No matter how you cut it, customer adoption of the cloud is happening at a faster pace than anyone anticipated, and it has all comers scrambling to play catch-up in what is sure to be an era of heightened channel conflict.

A Word Of Caution On IT Vendor Exclusivity

For channel partners that represent a single vendor in the market in any technology segment, if that vendor falls into a particularly difficult situation, the partner is at risk as well.

February-March 2014

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors

The Cloud 100 list aims to help solution providers navigate the growing cloud marketplace and identify the best solutions to support the IT channel.

Data Center 100

The Data Center 100 looks at the kind of partners that offer their own combinations of innovation, market share, market presence, buzz, technology capabilities and channel capabilities.

2014 Channel Chiefs

These 271 executives are the who's who of channel management--heading up the partner programs that solution providers depend on to run their businesses.

The MSP 500

CRN's inaugural MSP 500 list honors the top technology providers and consultants, whose forward-thinking approach to providing managed services is changing the landscape of the IT channel.

COLUMNS

Burke: Eaton's Channel Charge Ends APC's Winning Streak

The Eaton victory is a case study in how to build a channel program. It required a major investment over the past five years with a fanatical commitment to constantly improving every aspect of the program and, just as importantly, the product line itself with big investments in data center software.

Faletra: Feeling Confident About HP

For partners on the fence about the Meg Whitman era at HP, it's time to start feeling confident about the company's $112 billion commitment to solution providers.

November-December 2013

Tech 10: New Cloud Products For The Winter Season

Here's a look at 10 new cloud products and services from some of the top cloud players in the industry, including Verizon Terremark Cloud Compute and Amazon Workspaces.

Falken Tire Partner IMT Builds Data Center From Ground Up

Integrated Media Technologies helped Falken Tire, which took advantage of the real estate downturn to acquire a new headquarters building, with the design and deployment of a new data center.

Dell's Private: Now Comes The Hard Part

Michael Dell's long fight to take his company private is over, but that doesn't mean he's on easy street.

Michael Dell Makes His Bold Case To Partners: Why Dell?

Michael Dell takes the CRN hot seat, fielding hard questions about the future of the channel and how the company hopes to move the needle on growth.

Dell SonicWall Partners: Help Us Help You

Many longtime partners that have gone all in selling the SonicWall appliance line told CRN they now have to share the battlefield with the Dell direct sales force.

2013 Best Companies To Partner With

Get a first look at CRN's third annual exclusive new research study, Best Companies To Partner With, which asked solution providers to rank their must-have technology vendors.

HealthCare.Gov v2.0: Software Developers Create Site To Trump Obamacare Site Woes

As the Affordable Care Act site still struggles, a trio of software developers has banded together to create a user-friendly solution that actually works.

COLUMNS

Palo Alto Networks: A Next Generation Channel

Palo Alto Networks was built from the ground up as a 100 percent channel sales company and its channel sales team has made sure that its sales model is just as disruptive as its next-generation firewall.

Where The Rubber Meets The Road: How To Fix Field Engagement

When it comes to what happens in the field, solution providers need engagement with partner account managers that are focused on helping partners go to market together.

October 2013

Tech 10: Must-See Managed Service Products

Do you need a new tool, platform or program to help your managed services businesses grow? Here are 10 offerings from some of the top cloud and systems management software companies.

ERP Climbing The Cloud Applications Ladder

Step by step, cloud-focused solution providers are looking to adopt the managed cloud-as-a-service model and get into the ERP cloud game.

2013 ARC: At The Top Of Their Game

Solution providers are always looking for more than just a vendor--they're looking for a partner as well. Here are the companies they believe have gone above and beyond.

ARC 2013: Top 10 Channel Program Scores

Which vendors are treating their partners right? Solution providers tell all in CRN's Annual Report Card.

ARC 2013: Biggest Vendor Gains And Drops

CRN looks at the vendors whose channel programs either made big improvements or took a step backward according to the solution providers who rated them in this year's Annual Report Card.

2013 Annual Report Card: 19 Category Winners

The results are in. Solution providers surveyed in 19 categories offer a look at which vendors are doing best by their partners. Here are the IT vendors to which solution providers awarded top honors in each category.

The Top 100 Executives Of 2013

In an industry that keeps reinventing itself, leaders have to have a steady hand and an open mind.

The Top 25 Innovators Of 2013

In the last part of our ranking of the Top 100 Executives Of 2013, CRN recognizes the 25 innovators who are setting the technology course.

The Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders Of 2013

In part 3 of our ranking of the Top 100 Executives Of 2013, CRN salutes the 25 channel sales leaders who take vision and technology and make it real for solution provider partners.

The Top 25 Disrupters Of 2013

As part of our ranking of the Top 100 Executives Of 2013, CRN looks at the 25 executives who shook up the IT industry this year.

The 25 Most Influential Executives Of 2013

In an industry that keeps reinventing itself, leaders have to have a steady hand--and an open mind. Here, we present the 25 Most Influential Executives Of 2013.

COLUMNS

Burke: CEOs Who Commit To The Channel Bring In Sales

For big time players like Michael Dell and Meg Whitman, success with the channel is personal.

Faletra: Building The Perfect Channel

Because the technology market is continually changing, there is no perfect channel for very long. But there is a way to get very close to one, and it requires CEO leadership, a team of loyal executives that believe in the goal, and a commitment to take feedback from the field and build a business that is easier to work with.

September 2013

100 People You Don't Know But Should In 2013

CRN takes a look at the under-the-radar players that make sure solution provider partnerships thrive and business gets done.

Surging Ahead: CRN's 2013 Fast Growth

The solution providers on this year's Fast Growth list have just short of $24 billion in combined annual revenue, up from $21.1 billion last year, $10.4 billion in 2011 and $5.3 billion in 2010.

Dell Lays Out 4-Point Plan For Post-Buyout Road Map

Dell outlines a familiar road map for life as a private company after its $24.9 billion leverage buyout.

Tech 10: Dynamite Digital Displaces For 2013

CRN's Tech 10 looks at the latest UltraHD products currently available for the channel to leverage from Sharp, Sony, LG, Asus and Dell, plus digital display technology from Apple, AMD, Intel, Samsung and Viewsonic.

COLUMNS

Dell's Battle Has Just Begun

Now comes the hard part for Michael Dell. With the yearlong battle behind him to take Dell private, the company founder now faces the biggest business challenge of his lifetime.

IT-Telecom Convergence: 'All-Inclusive' Offering Changes The Game

The desire for customers to invest more in line-of-business, customer-facing offerings is driving more customers to outsource IT-telecom overhead to solution providers.

July/August 2013

Tech 10: Blockbusters In The Data Center

The latest "Tech 10" list from CRN looks at the high-performance servers, chillin cooling equipment and other technologies making waves in the data center.

Smart Money: Where There's Mobility, There's Margin

There's an old saying that goes: Where there's mystery, there's margin. Now there's a new saying: Where there's mobility, there's margin.

The Mobile Quandry: Q&A With Lenovo's Chris Frey

CRN's Kathy Kim spoke with Chris Frey, vice president of North America channels and SMB at Lenovo, about the opportunities and challenges around mobility. Following are excerpts.

Faces Of The 2013 Next-Gen 250

Here we present part one of the top 50 on CRN's 2013 Next-Gen 250 list, a spotlight shined on 250 solution providers born since 1998.

Emerging Vendors For 2013

Among our list of more than 225 emerging vendors, these 25 stand out as the coolest tech startups in 2013.

The 10 Coolest Virtualization Startups Of 2013 (So Far)

CRN looks at 10 virtualization startups that have scored big investments and customer wins in the first half of 2013.

COLUMNS

Time To Grow Or Time To Die: Recasting The Solution Provider Business Model

In response to the accelerating pace of change recasting the solution provider business model and the technology services choices facing the channel, CRN through its parent company started the BoB (Best of Breed) conference three years ago.

The Perennial Channel Question: Why Should I Do Business With You?

As the move to more toward managed services, off-premises private cloud and, ultimately, to public cloud continues, the criteria vendors will use to choose channel partners will change.

June 2013

FEATURES

9 Integrators: How I Made The 2013 Solution Provider 500

These companies share the secrets to success that launched them onto this year's list of the largest solution providers in North America.

Women of the Channel

This year, CRN honors 295 Women of the Channel whose expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.

Cloud Storage Startups: In Partners We Trust

Startups are providing solution providers and MSPs a solid option for cloud storage, but before you sign up, be sure they are who they claim to be.

Tech 10: Hot Antivirus Alternatives For 2013

CRN identifies 10 vendors that have developed innovative ways to detect malware and analyze threats to better protect corporate networks. They take a giant step beyond traditional signature technologies.

COLUMNS

How Peeved Is Jeff Bezos At HP-Workday Deal?

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos can be none too pleased that a company he invested in is doing business with Amazon Web Services rival HP.

Amazon Cloud: Is It Good For The Channel?

Does it make sense for solution providers to resell the Amazon cloud? Here a few important questions you have to ask in order to make the decision to put the livelihood of your customers' business on the Amazon cloud.

May 2013

2013 Virtualization 50

From server virtualization to virtual desktop infrastructure to network virtualization, CRN's Virtualization 50 celebrates the vendors tackling the different facets of virtualization technologies.

50 Cool Tools For Solution Providers

Here is CRN's list of 50 breakthrough tools - software platforms, applications and cloud services - that partners can use to run their own business and more effectively manage their customers' business.

COLUMNS

A Cloud Services Culture War: Dimension Data Vs. AWS

Dimension Data is setting up its cloud services business to give corporate customers what they're missing from Amazon Web Services.

HP's Whitman: The Right Attitude For Driving Channel Growth

Unlike the Carly Fiorina and Leo Apotheker stewardships, current HP CEO Meg Whitman has the right attitude for driving channel growth.

April 2013

APC: A 20-Year Channel Champ

On the strength of its partner relationships, APC by Schneider Electric celebrates its 20th consecutive year as a CRN Channel Champion honoree.

The 2013 Big Data 100

Here we present CRN's inaugural Big Data 100 list, identifying vendors that have demonstrated an ability to innovate in bringing to market products and technologies that help businesses manage big data.

CRN Exclusive: Paul Maritz's Plan To Take Over Big Data

Paul Maritz is known for avoiding technology hyperbole. But even he knows that his big data business applications play is no small experiment.

20 Tough Big Data Questions For Pivotal's Paul Maritz

Pivotal CEO Paul Maritz spoke exclusively to CRN about how the ambitious new big data venture from EMC and VMware will tackle Amazon Web Services.

Tech 10: Hot Networking Devices For 2013

Software-defined networking, mobility and the cloud has everyone in the network space upping their game. Here are 10 products that you must check out.

Dell's (Yes, Dell's) Vitagliano Talks About His New Role

Frank Vitagliano joins Dell after seven years at Juniper Networks. He tells CRN why he made the move.

Channel@Work: To Grandma's House We Go

CRN checks in with the Channel@Work volunteer team, which made a trip to Grandma's House, an intergenerational nursing home. The project took place in conjunction with last month's XChange Solution Provider 2013 event in Orlando, Fla.

COLUMNS

A Big Data Partner Revolution: Maritz On Vertical Expertise, Education

Interested in in establishing a beachhead in the big data market? Pivotal CEO Paul Maritz offers solution providers a few thoughts on vertical expertise and education.

March 2013

The 2013 Partner Program Guide: 194 Vendor Programs

Details on the leading hardware and software solution provider programs.

2013 Partner Programs Guide: Systems Vendors

CRN looks at the systems vendors in our annual Partner Program Guide that received the 5-star award for their commitment and services offered to their channel partners.

2013 Partner Programs Guide: Software Vendors

The following vendors in CRN's annual Partner Program Guide received the 5-star award for their development tools, business applications and virtualization software partner program offerings.

2013 Partner Programs Guide: Networking Vendors

It takes a lot stand out in the networking world these days, but the five-star vendors on this year's Partner Programs Guide managed to do so by offering the best programs in software defined networking, unified communications and more.

2013 Partner Programs Guide: Security Vendors

When it comes to securing partner programs, these vendors went above and beyond with their antivirus, firewalls, intrusion detection and other security offerings.

2013 Partner Programs Guide: Storage Vendors

CRN looks at the storage vendors that received the 5-star award in our annual Partner Program Guide, for their commitment and services offered to their channel partners.

2013 Partner Programs Guide: Cloud Vendors

The following vendors in CRN's annual Partner Program Guide received the 5-star award for their Software-as-a-Service, cloud hosting, cloud services and other cloud-based programs.

2013 Partner Programs Guide: Peripherals Vendors

The following vendors in our annual Partner Program Guide received the 5-star award based on their displays, components and digital signage in the peripherals space.

2013 Partner Programs Guide: Distributor Programs

CRN honors distributors as part of our annual Partner Program Guide, including Tech Data, ScanSource, D&H Distributing, Avnet Technology Solutions and SYNNEX.

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2013

The Cloud 100 is an examination of the best players in the cloud computing game, broken down into five categories: platforms, infrastructure, storage, security and software.

The 20 Coolest Cloud Software Vendors Of The Cloud 100

It's not just Salesforce.com in the cloud software game these days. Check out the coolest cloud software vendors on this year's Cloud 100 list.

The 20 Coolest Cloud Storage Vendors Of The Cloud 100

As storage vendors new and old make the move to expand their products and services to the cloud, we take a look at the 20 coolest cloud storage companies that made this year's Cloud 100 list.

The 20 Coolest Cloud Security Vendors Of The Cloud 100

Are you apprehensive about migrating to the cloud? Check out the 20 major cloud security companies that made this year's Cloud 100 list.

The 20 Coolest Cloud Platform Vendors Of The Cloud 100

Are you apprehensive about migrating to the cloud? Check out the 20 major cloud security companies that made this year's Cloud 100 list.

The 20 Coolest Cloud Infrastructure Vendors Of The Cloud 100

If you're looking to get in the cloud business, a cloud infrastructure provider can get you there. Here are the 20 cloud infrastructure players that made this year's list of the 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors.

Managed Print: An Aggregated Approach That Drives Channel Revenue

Channel partners and MSPs are turning to managed print as a means of helping customers get budgetary control of a long-standing cost center.

Tech 10: Hot Components For 2013

From high-end graphics cards to motherboards, these components are pushing the limits and capabilities of today's systems.

COLUMNS

The New Channel Normal: Why You Can't Talk About Products Anymore

The IT decision-maker is changing and those stuck on the traditional VAR model must shift the conversation from products to business outcomes.

The Cloud Model: Why The Channel's Future Is Shining Bright

The time is now for the channel to reap the rewards of deploying cloud services. But while the key attribute to capitalizing on past tech trends were technical skills, the future in the cloud is all about sales and marketing.

Burke: Amazon's Blind Side: The Impact Of Service Outages

In the wake of high profile cloud outages, it's time for solution providers to take a critical look at their web services partner.

The Great Balancing Act: Investing In Non-Technical Skills

IT vendors willing to invest in non-product-based skills show their solution provider partners that they are willing to make an investment in their company.

February 2013

Is It Too Late For HP's Whitman To Mend Channel Fences?

HP CEO MEG Whitman knows the best way to stop HP-bashing in its tracks is to get the channel to believe again. Can she rebuild the trust?

HP Overhauls PartnerOne, Aggressively Recruiting New Partners

HP is pairing a new 'pay for performance'-focused PartnerOne overhaul with a stepped-up solution provider recruitment effort.

2013 Channel Chiefs

These 255 executives are the who's who of channel management.

2013 Channel Chiefs: By Company

Meet the executives responsible for running channels at vendors in the IT market today.

2013 Channel Chiefs: By Name

Meet the executives responsible for running channels at vendors in the IT market today.

The 2013 CRN Tech Elite 250

Being elite in the channel means holding the most elite technical certifications. In the 2013 CRN Tech Elite 250, we honor the solution providers with premier certifications from Microsoft to HP to Cisco and more.

Channel Certified: CRN 2013 Tech Elite 250

The Tech Elite 250 is comprised of North American solution providers top-level certifications from Cisco, Citrix, Dell, EMC, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft, NetApp, Symantec and VMware.

COLUMNS

Are Vendors Becoming The New Service Providers?

As more and more vendors make their traditionally on-premises solutions available as-a-service, one has to wonder if this alternative to the on-premises product line will become the new norm.

GE Capital Ushers In A New Era Of IT Financing For The Cloud

As solutions providers move into the cloud services era, GE Capital is helping to usher in a new era of IT financing.

Your Customers Have A Secret: Why Now Is The Time To Transition To Cloud

While selling hardware may be your bread and butter right now, it's very possible that your customers are hiding something from you.

3 Keys For Vendor Assessment In Today's Channel

The channel has changed quite a bit in the last decade. Here are three key elements to examine when evaluating potential vendor partners.

January 2013

Securing The SMB: The Value Of Unified Threat Management

Preserving the security of customer data is one of the most profound challenges faced by channel partners in 2013. And while exploits targeting large financial institutions and other enterprises tend to get the most attention, the dangers extend to companies of all sizes.

Juniper CEO: We're Uniquely Positioned To Be SDN Winner

In an interview with CRN, Kevin Johnson sounds off on Juniper's SDN strategy, its restructuring, and how it plans to get its mojo back in security and data center.

Partners And Priorities: Cisco's Channel Chief Talks Exclusively To CRN

Cisco Worldwide Partner Organization boss Bruce Klein discusses priorities for the coming year in his first on-the-record interview since taking the job.

CRN's Data Center 100

CRN's annual Data Center 100 shines a light on the key technology vendors that are powering today's data center with everything from data backup tools to virtual data center solutions to cloud hosting services.

Be Nimble, Be Quick: How GreenPages Transformed Into A Cloud Powerhouse

GreenPages CEO Ron Dupler tells CRN how he transformed the Kittery, Maine-based solution provider into a cloud powerhouse.

10 Cloud Predictions For 2013

This year, the cloud will become widespread and used in revolutionary ways we didn't imagine a short time ago.

COLUMNS

Burke: Retail Folly: Why Microsoft Surface Losses Will Result In A New Channel Strategy

By failing to distribute Microsoft Surface through the commercial sales channel will force Microsoft to rethink its channel strategy.

Ochs: Return On Investment: What's Your Break-Even?

Return on investment is one of the most often missed components of a recruitment presentation when vendors recruit solution providers.

Damore: Microsoft, HP: Time To Make It Right For Channel Partners

For long-standing channel partners Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, the time is now to make things right for HP partners and Microsoft partners.

Faletra: Private Dell: A Positive Move

Dell's recent news that it's driving toward a potential private equity deal sounds like a good thing.

December 2012

FEATURES

The 2012 Products of the Year

From servers to laptops to tablets, 2012 was a great year of great products. Here are the ones we found to be the best.

Virtually Irresistible: The 2012 Tech Innovator Awards

Here's a look at the winners of the 2012 Tech Innovator Awards, including the CRN Test Center's 2012 Editor's Choice for the most innovative product of the year.

HP To Lynch: Get Ready To Testify

HP says former Autonomy CEO Dr. Mike Lynch should get ready to testify under oath about alleged accounting improprieties under the penalty of perjury.

Polycom Ignores Death Knell, Fights Back Against Cisco

Just before Polycom was about to fade away, the videoconferencing provider did several things to solidify its position in the marketplace.

VCE Partners: Sticking Point Is That Vblock's Still A Tough Sell

Solution providers attending last week's VCE partner conference speak with CRN and say that the challenge remains how to convince customers to invest in the fully created Vblock stack and pay a premium for it.

The 10 Biggest Storage Stories Of 2012

Small storage vendors looked up, large vendors looked down and everyone looked at the storage cloud, flash technology and even old-school storage technology in 2012 to build the storage infrastructures that will impact customers in 2013 and beyond.

The 10 Biggest Networking Stories Of 2012

It was a wild year for the networking segment, with major changes in the channels of Cisco, Juniper and other major players, as well as with the industry-wide SDN trend starting to take hold in a big way. Here are the 10 stories that kept us buzzing this year.

COLUMNS

The Worst Channel Decision Of 2012

There were many channel blunders this year, but none worse than Microsoft's decision not to use the channel to sell its new Surface Tablet.

Your Marketing Wish List

In cases where partners did not qualify for vendor-marketing support, they aligned with newer, competitive brands that were less established.

Giving Back: Business4Better

UBM is giving back with Business4Better.

Back To The Future Channel

Get ready for a year of accelerating consolidation in channels and the industry as a whole in 2013.

November 2012

FEATURES

The Top 100 Executives Of 2012

In a year marked by significant technology innovation, CRN looks at the 100 executives that left their mark on the channel and made an impact throughout the industry. Here is our list of the Top 100 Executives of 2012.

2012 Best Companies To Partner With

Get a first look at CRN's second annual exclusive new research study, Best Companies To Partner With, which asked solution providers to rank their must-have technology vendors.

Federal VARs Bracing For 'Fiscal Cliff' With Little Changed On Capitol Hill

Top solution providers are confident the Obama Administration and Congress will avoid crushing BCA sequestration.

Obama Wins, VARs Fear Job Cuts

President Obama's re-election will lead to tax hikes and hurt businesses, some solution providers say.

HP Intros New Intel Itanium-based Servers Even As Intel Works To Combine Itanium, Xeon Platforms

Intel said the next generation of Itanium processors, code-named "Kittson," will make it possible to design common server platforms that can support either the Itanium or its x86-based Xeon processors.

Fortinet: Threats Against Mobility, Public Infrastructure Will Rise in 2013

As Fortinet creates its predictions for 2013, it also expects increases in two-factor authentication and "Fast Flux" rotation of IP addresses to conceal malicious servers.

The Cloud Provides Disaster Recovery As Hurricane Sandy Rages

Although Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast this week creating widespread damage, cloud networks held up for the most part.

Avaya To Partners: Attack The Midmarket, Upsell The Enterprise

Avaya will focus on two distinct selling motions while it continues to invest to enable partners, top Avaya channel and sales executives said Thursday.

COLUMNS

Which Compensation Model Will Be The Winner?

As service provider vendors, IT and carrriers alike, refine the value propositions they make to you, they are watching your response to up-front or bonus-driven compensation.

Do You Have 'Channel Attitude?'

Having a Harvard MBA may get you into the Harvard Club, but it's not the best route to becoming a successful channel chief.

Every Website Tells A Story

In an unscientific look at some company websites, some put partners front and center, while others buried their partner links.

30 Days That Humbled IT

From Superstorm Sandy to the presidential elections, the past 30 days have provided a treasure-trove of insights for solution providers.

October 2012

FEATURES

Cisco's Chambers: Bet On Us Because We Don't Lose

Cisco's ability to see market transitions and constantly reinvent itself have kept it thriving and made it a better channel partner than any peer, said CEO John Chambers.

Windows 8 Review: Can't Please Everyone

Windows 8 has arrived, and that means for many, it finally will be time to migrate from Windows XP, for which Microsoft is set to end support early next year.

Microsoft Partners Gearing Up For Windows 8 Opportunities

While questions abound over how quickly customers will adopt Windows 8, solution providers see Windows-based tablets providing an alternative to Apple's iPad in corporate computing environments.

Ready For Launch: 12 Hot Devices Running Windows 8

Windows 8 is here and with it comes a slew of devices ready to run the latest release of Microsoft's OS. Here we take a look at a dozen Windows 8-ready tablets, Ultrabooks and convertible PCs.

Annual Report Card

For more than a generation, CRN's ARC has highlighted what makes vendor partners great. And it's all from those who know best: solution providers.

How The BYOD Phenomenon Is Shaping The Next Era In Managed Print Services

Solution providers in the managed print services (MPS) space can stand to gain by incorporating mobile print software.

CRN's Annual Enterprise App Awards

CRN recognizes AT&T Toggle, Red Funnel FatStax and Waze, by a company of the same name, in its annual Enterprise App Awards.

COLUMNS

A Cloud Computing Game-Changer

Twenty-five years ago, Sam Haffar and his brother Jason started out building white-box PCs, and now they've made a deal to be acquired by Stratos Management Systems.

Training For The Fast Track

When it came to education and training, solution providers scored vendor-provided technical training first and sales training second, ahead of other training disciplines.

Proving The Industry Wrong

When it comes to good channel programs, many vendors talk the talk, but few walk the walk, with one exception: Cisco.

Skate Toward The Puck

Customer buying behaviors are changing and solution providers need to match their product and service portfolios to that spend.

September 2012

FEATURES

Big Data Demands: The Heightened Need For Advanced Data Visualization

The use of advanced data visualization technology is heating up developers of business intelligence, and data analytics apps look to handle big data.

Tapping Into Digital Signage: Vertical Opportunities Arise For VARs

Digital signage is expanding to include smaller-scale displays that offer a more personalized and interactive experience for users.

Q&A: HP's Bradley Talks Tablet, Apple, Microsoft

HP Executive Vice President Todd Bradley says the company's channel strength gives it a hands-down advantage in the business market versus Apple iPad and Microsoft Surface.

The 2012 Business Connectivity Partner Program Guide

The convergence of the VAR and telecom agent channels is an intricate puzzle with many moving pieces. Here's a list of who's ready, willing and able to play.

CRN's 2012 Fast Growth: How To Kickstart Your Business

Execs from companies on CRN's 2012 Fast Growth list offer up seven tips on how to revitalize a business, so that when opportunity knocks you'll be ready to go where the market takes you.

Review: The Oracle ZFS Storage Appliance

Past and present come together in this high-performance, high-availability storage appliance.

Lloyd: VMware's Nicira Deal A Competitive Threat To Cisco

Cisco's worldwide sales chief says the vendor ecosystem is naturally a gray area: Cisco will partner with vendors in some areas and compete with them in others.

Eleven Years Later, 9/11 Attacks Still Fresh For Former VAR

Neil Isford, an IBM VP, was CEO of a New York VAR two blocks from the World Trade Center. He still remembers the events like they were yesterday.

Intel Charts Course To 10nm Chips By 2015

Moore's Law is alive and well, Intel said Wednesday, with 14nm chips in the pipeline for 2013 and 10nm chips next in line.

COLUMNS

HP One Year Later

A look at where HP was a year ago, where it is now, and where it needs to go.

The Natural Move To Apple

For one executive, the move to an Apple laptop from IBM Wintel was a natural migration.

Fast Growth: Top-Flight Tips

The top solution provider on the 2012 Fast Growth list, XIOSS, offers up its secrets to success.

Microsoft's Case Of Apple Envy

Microsoft may not be any competition for Apple in the tablet market, but in the enterprise, Windows-based tablets will do well.

August 2012

FEATURES

How ePlus Got On The Road To $1 Billion In Revenue

The solution provider's steady climb is credited to investments in architecture and platform plays behind data center, collaboration, security, infrastructure, professional and managed services, and software for procurement and asset management.

Dell, HP Introduce VDI Reference Architecture, New Zero-Client Devices

A week before the VMworld conference starts, Dell and HP unveiled new zero-client devices and new reference architectures for VDI deployments, while Dell added new SSD support to its EqualLogic arrays

Raising the Bar: How To Solve BYOD Headaches (And Make Money Doing It)

While the BYOD explosion has created headaches for IT staffs, the opportunities have never been greater for mobility-savvy solution providers.

The 50 Best Apps For Getting Business Done (Part 1)

The CRN Test Center examined hundreds of apps to find the best options for improving communication and increasing productivity. Here's Part 1 of our list.

The 50 Best Apps For Getting Business Done (Part 2)

The CRN Test Center examined hundreds of apps to find the best options for improving communication and increasing productivity. Here's Part 2 of our list.

2012 Emerging Vendors: The List

CRN's 2012 Emerging Vendors list includes companies from every technology segment, having been established in 2006 or later, and have a strategy to leverage the channel to go to market.

10 Tips For Starting Up A Successful Solution Provider Business

Here are 10 tips from Next-Gen entrepreneurs on how to reap more of the rewards, and less of the anxiety.

2012 CRN Next-Gen 250

CRN's Next-Gen 250 spotlights the solution providers that are positioning themselves for the next wave of technology and business model shifts, including virtualization, cloud computing, data center and mobility. Fifty leading start-up solution providers from the 2012 CRN Next-Gen 250 list.

COLUMNS

A Cloud Storm Ahead

CRN's Best of Breed (BoB) conference will host experts that can advise solution providers how to transition to the cloud computing services model.

And The Numbers Are In

IPED numbers show that a majority of U.S. solution providers are recognizing a full 5 percent or more of their annual revenues are recurring revenues from cloud or managed services.

The One To Watch

If the latest numbers are any indication, Lenovo will be the one to watch.

Is It Curtains For DMRs?

Direct market resellers are going to be an extinct species in five years.

July 2012

FEATURES

Microsoft's Ballmer Bets Big On Cloud, Mobility; Partners Want In

Steve Ballmer is fired up, and he is talking about a new, more competitive Microsoft. It is a Microsoft playing offense, willing to do what it takes to win as it moves to stop anyone from wresting away its crown as the world leader in bringing personal computing to the masses.

Q&A: Ballmer's Tough Talk On Surface, Apple And Partners

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer didn't hold back in an exclusive interview with CRN, saying the software giant will leave no stone unturned -- not the consumer cloud or any kind of hardware software innovation -- in its battle with Apple. Here's the full transcript.

2012 Women of the Channel

This year, CRN honors 208 Women of the Channel, each deserving of recognition for their accomplishments at solution provider, vendor, distributor and other organizations.

COLUMNS

Burke: Steve Ballmer Is Back

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer is back and his competitive juices are flowing again.

Ochs: The Channel's 'Holy Grail'

Help your vendors look forward rather than in the rear view mirror by ensuring they understand the value of your programs.

Damore: Can We Have It All?

We salute women who make a difference in technology in CRN's Annual Women of the Channel issue.

Faletra: Playing The Tablet Card

Microsoft should put a plan in place to drive its tablet through solution providers in the business marketplace.

June 2012

FEATURES

Solution Provider 500

Our annual ranking of the top solution providers in North America.

Solution Provider 500: Evolve, Adapt, Thrive

This year, the integrators with the highest revenue in North America are part of CRN's Solution Provider 500 list.

SP 500 Award Winners

Profiles of the companies that earned special distinction at our Solution Provider 500 Awards.

• Executive Of The Year - Carahsoft's CEO Aims High
• Company of the Year - At GreenPages, Talent Counts
• Business Transformation - Advanced Evolves To Integrator
• Virtualization - At IPM, Partnering Makes Perfect
• Mobility - MicroTech Puts Customers First
• Security - Nexum Takes Holistic Approach
• Cloud Computing - OnX Focuses On The Cloud
• Managed Services - TekLink's Teamwork Pays Off
• Storage - Varrow Goes Deep With EMC

Panasonic Restructures, Arms VARs With End-To-End Solutions For Vertical Markets

Panasonic is adopting a more market- rather than product-focused structure that it says will be a big win for channel partners.

100 People You Don't Know But Should In 2012 (Part 1)

CRN takes a look at the behind-the-scenes players that make sure solution provider partnerships thrive and business gets done.

100 People You Don't Know But Should In 2012 (Part 2)

CRN takes a look at the behind-the-scenes players that make sure solution provider partnerships thrive and business gets done.

COLUMNS

Microsoft's Tablet Advantage

Microsoft's decision to build its own tablet and sell it directly marks a sea change in IT and an admission that the market has shifted.

Microsoft Partners Left Dazed And Confused

Partners are left dazed and confused over Microsoft's recent Surface tablet launch.

The New Decision-Makers

An IPED 2012 survey finds that when cloud service is an application like Salesforce.com, new buyers are primary decision-makers.

Scratching The Surface

Microsoft's surprise announcement about its Surface tablet is an attempt to gain lost ground in the mobile market.

May 2012

FEATURES

CRN Exclusive: EMC Passes Enterprise Services Baton To Partners

New programs and services and a hard line in the sand for EMC's direct sales force are testament to the storage giant's channel transformation.

Q&A: Bill Scannell And EMC Make The Channel Push

Bill Scannell, the 27-year EMC veteran, sat down with CRN to discuss the storage giant's push to move more services business through partners.

Q&A: Joe Tucci On NetApp, Dell And VSPEX

EMC is pushing hard to embrace the channel and eliminate its intensely direct-sales culture. On the heels of EMC World, the CEO of the world's largest storage vendor sat down with CRN to tackle a variety of topics.

CRN's 2012 Virtualization 100: Part 1

Check out part one of the 2012 Virtualization 100, a comprehensive list of who's who in the virtualization space.

CRN's 2012 Virtualization 100: Part 2

Check out part two of the 2012 Virtualization 100, a comprehensive list of who's who in the virtualization space.

AMD Delivers Second-Generation Trinity APUs

Chip maker's Trinity APUs are designed to boost graphics performance and accelerate apps on desktop, notebook and Ultrathin PCs.

COLUMNS

EMC: Extra Mighty Channel?

EMC has the opportunity to build the broadest, most technically astute and most profitable channel.

Change Is In The Air At Apple

Apple's Francois Daumard has led a channel charge aimed at driving the iPad and iPhone deeper into businesses of all sizes.

The Race Is On In The Cloud

By adding cloud services, solution providers could initiate transformation of their business models from Legacy to Transformative with recurring revenue.

The Startup Advantage

For solution partners young and old, there is a unique opportunity to gauge the new supplier base and capitalize on the need by those vendors to build channel relationships and sales.

April 2012

FEATURES

2012 Channel Champions

For 22 years, CRN has awarded the Channel Champions distinction to vendors that have earned the right to be called the "creme de la creme."

A/V Integration Powerhouse AVI-SPL Turns Focus To Services

Professional and managed services offerings that go wide and deep will preserve the channel, A/V integrator's leaders say.

Vertica Ex-CEO: Big Data Is The Channel's Biggest New Play

Chris Lynch sold Vertica to HP last year and has since gone on to invest in big data start-ups. 'It's bigger than one company. It's a movement,' he says.

Nvidia Launches Kepler-Based GPUs For Gaming, Ultrabooks

Nvidia has unveiled its first Kepler-based GPU, the GeForce GTX 680, targeted specifically at the enthusiast and Ultrabook markets.

COLUMNS

Intermec's Three Channel Tenets

Intermec took a thoughtful, long-term and strategic view of the channel to build a world-class channel offering in only two-and-a-half years.

The Cloud Solution Spin

Position marketing will become more prevalent due to the loss of brand identity to the end user as a result of the cloud.

Compliance Is A Gold Mine

Small businesses' compliance with data protection regulations could be a gold mine for the channel.

Managed Vs. Cloud Services

Self-proclaimed purist Ochs explains the difference between a managed service and a cloud service citing a June 2009 Gartner publication.

March 2012

FEATURES

CRN's 30th Anniversary: 30 Years Of Headlines

As part of CRN's 30th anniversary celebration, we're taking a look back to see how technology has changed and evolved since 1982.

CRN's 30th Anniversary: 30 Peers With 30 Years

We're recognizing 30 IT executives who have been in the industry for at least 30 years and have helped shaped the technology channel into what it is today.

CRN's 30th Anniversary: 30 In Their 30s

We're recognizing 30 channel leaders that are still in their 30s.

Pomeroy Launches Managed Cloud Services For Enterprise Customers

Customers can deploy, transition, monitor and manage servers, storage and bandwidth using a customized portal using Pomeroy Managed Cloud Services.

Intel's Dallman Says BYOD, Mobility Offer New Opportunities For Partners

Intel's Steve Dallman said that the company's new mobile strategy and Atom "Medfield" chips will ultimately yield growth opportunities for its partners.

2012 Partner Programs Guide: Star Turn

IT manufacturers and software developers are demanding more from their channel partners. Isn't it time partners demanded more from their vendors in turn?

2012 Partner Programs Guide: Companies A-Z

Our annual directory of hardware and software vendor partner programs.

2012 Partner Programs Guide: Companies By Technology Specialization

Our annual directory of hardware and software vendor partner programs, broken down by technology specialty.

AMD Targets Cloud-Based Servers With New Low-Power Opteron Chips

AMD unveiled Tuesday its new line-up of low-power Opteron 3200 server processors for energy-efficient data centers and cloud-based servers.

The 100 Coolest Cloud Computing Vendors Of 2012

CRN's Cloud 100 is a who's who in the cloud market, representing the most innovative companies across five categories: cloud platforms, cloud infrastructure, cloud storage, cloud security and cloud software.

COLUMNS

M&A Madness: It's Not A Game

The M&A madness we see today is about making an almost unimaginable business transformation to where businesses are buying IT as a service.

The Art Of Cloud Brokering

A successful cloud-computing strategy often involves customizing services from one or more vendors, according to Gartner. One way to do this is through a cloud services brokerage.

Happy Anniversary, CRN

For 30 years, CRN has been chronicling technology and providing analysis as to why it is important to sell technology systems to customers. Happy Anniversary, CRN.

Cloud Is About Cost Transfer

The future of computing is increasingly going to experience a bigger effort to transfer costs up the sales chain.

February 2012

FEATURES

Whitman's Campaign To Bring HP Back

CEO Meg Whitman has literally taken down fences at HP and brought the stability partners crave, but now comes the hard part: implementing and executing on a strategy for the long term.

Channel Chiefs 2012

Meet the executives responsible for running channels at vendors in the IT market.

2012 Channel Chiefs By Company

2012 Channel Chiefs By Name

CRN Tech Elite 250

We present this year's CRN Tech Elite 250, the definitive list of solution providers with deep technical expertise and premier certifications serving customers in North America.

ShoreTel Makes Splash With M5; VARs Ponder The Ripple Effects

ShoreTel partners say the acquisition of hosted UC vendor M5 is a blockbuster, but the company needs to be clear about integration plans and where M5 will fit.

AMD Restructures Around System-On-A-Chip Roadmap

AMD unveils its two-year product roadmap, targeting ultra-thin computers and low-power processors for today's cloud-powering datacenters.

COLUMNS

Whitman Must Bury 8/18/11

Reversing course for HP after former CEO Leo Apotheker turned the biggest IT channel upside-down, is a job CEO Meg Whitman is facing head-on.

Picking Up The Pieces At HP

Less than four months on the job, HP CEO Meg Whitman has brought stability and solid management to a company enormously important to the channel, but her job is far from over.

ServiceKey Puts Partners First

Solution providers are increasingly tapping ServiceKey for everything from basic warranty and maintenance services to disaster recovery, even support for cloud/hosted services environments.

Get Ready For Transformation

Most solution providers are open to the topic of transforming their businesses, and they are approaching their vendors as a first point of contact looking for direction and education.

January 2012

FEATURES

10 Telecom Predictions for 2012

What will next year hold for telco mergers and the mobile device boom? CRN makes its 2012 predictions for the Telecom industry.

10 Security Predictions For 2012

CRN looks into its crystal ball and sees Android, hactivisim and cyber-espionage as some of the top 10 security threats in 2012.

Solution Providers: Intel Smartphones, 'Wintel' Here To Stay

Intel has announced an alliance with Motorola as it prepares to enter the smartphone and tablet space for the first time ever. Intel's new mobile strategy doesn't signify the demise of "Wintel," though, solution providers said.

F5: Security Stars Are Aligned

F5 Networks graduates from mere "load-balancer" to sitting at the security vendor big kids' table.

Q&A: F5's McAdam On Momentum

We chat with F5 Networks' John McAdam about the vendor's momentum and how he plans to keep it going.

2012 CRN Data Center 100: Part 1

Part one of CRN's Data Center 100, takes a look at some of the top technology vendors in the data center market.

2012 CRN Data Center 100: Part 2

Part two of CRN's Data Center 100, continues our look at the top technology vendors in the data center community.

Will Cloud Computing Kill Distribution?

Distributors look to stay relevant to solution providers as technology shifts underneath them yet again.

How 8 Distributors Are Tackling The Cloud

Eight distributors reveal their plans of action to get themselves to the cloud.

COLUMNS

Are You Ready For 2012?

Burke offers up five tips to success in 2012 culled from top solution providers, UBM Channel Research and CIOs.

The Apple Of My 'i'

Damore makes the switch to iPhone and iPad at work and demonstrates why solution providers shouldn't ignore the consumerization of IT.

High Tech's Toughest Job

For today's channel chiefs, the scrutiny and grind of it all is comparable to a presidential campaign that never ends.

Program With A Double Edge

The pros and cons of volume-based discounting.

December 2011

FEATURES

The Best Products Of 2011

From processors to tablets, from PCs to laptops, this was a great year of great products. Here are what we found to be the best.

Digital Signage Splash: Test Center Reviews Four Displays

The CRN Test Center puts four digital signage products to the test.

Digital Signage Growing As VARs Eye Recurring Revenue, Back-End Opportunities

For solution providers, the most important parts of digital signage are in the back-end integration opportunities and recurring revenue streams.

The Most Innovative Products of 2011

From tablets to high-end storage, here are the 2011 Tech Innovators.

Video Vendors You Need To Know

Check out CRN's list of the vendors in the videoconferencing space the channel should know.

Emerging Video Vendors You Need To Know

CRN takes a look at the emerging vendors in the videoconferencing space.

Cloud Providers Locked And Loaded For Social Revolution

Salesforce and Google are screaming the word 'social,' but are solution providers and cloud providers seeing interest from their customers and are VARs seeing new opportunities from the social revolution?

AMD Eyes Cloud Computing, Virtualization With New Opteron Server Chips

AMD has officially launched its much-anticipated Opteron 6200 'Interlagos' processors, boasting a boost in server performance by up to 84 percent.

COLUMNS

Welcome To The Garden Of Eaton

Eaton's scored big in virtualization with software that provides virtual machine live migration and cluster shutdown.

The Ideal Solution Provider

Valuable solution providers are now characterized by their ability to capture customer spend in the data center, when it's hosted or when it's in the cloud.

Channel Business Index Offers Insight

CRN is unveiling the Channel Business Index to get a real-world view of solution provider confidence and business outlook in the channel.

Cloud Spawns New Type of Supplier: a 'Vendorgrater'

VCE, the joint cloud effort of Cisco and EMC, with investments from VMware and Intel, can be described as a 'vendorgrater.'

November 2011

FEATURES

Mark Hurd: The Oracle Of The Channel

Oracle President Mark Hurd lays the foundation for Oracle's channel charge, which in part involves a Hurd-designed sales plan that has focused Oracle's partners on the hard-to-reach midmarket and SMB accounts.

Althoff's Effort Paying Off For Oracle Channel

Oracle Senior Vice President Judson Althoff takes off where Mark Hurd left off, using strategic skills to move Oracle in position for partner recruitment blitz.

Review: Thumbs-Up On Oracle Database Appliance

The Oracle Database Appliance proves to be full of opportunity for VARs to deliver significant value.

BOB Conference Attendees Set Channel Survival Course

Solution provider CEO thought leaders gather at the BOB conference this week to collaborate on a path that will allow them to prosper in the cloud computing era.

Managed Service Providers You Need To Know

Check out our list of the managed service providers the channel needs to know.

Emerging Managed Service Providers You Need To Know

Check out our list of the emerging managed service providers the channel needs to know.

2011 Best Companies To Partner With

Get a first look at CRN's exclusive new research study, Best Companies To Partner With, which asked solution providers to rank their must-have technology vendors.

The Top 100 Executives Of 2011

2011 was not the year to be sitting on the sidelines. Here's our annual look at the 100 executives who came to win.

COLUMNS

Hurd Has Done It Again

Under Mark Hurd, Oracle has more indirect sales representatives covering more of the market with more success than ever before.

Hitching Up To Carrier Services

In the last year, we have seen widespread telco and cable company interest in recruiting network resellers and integrators to their agent programs, a good opportunity to consider.

What I Learned At BOB

Inaugural Best Of Breed conference brought together leading and next-gen VARs who imparted their wisdom to the channel.

The Plight Of Partner Portals

Partner portals are not dead, but they should be reconstructed from the ground up with the user in mind.

October 2011

FEATURES

Annual Report Card

High quality and great return on investment--those are what puts a vendor at the top of CRN's Annual Report Card.

Business Connectivity Partner Programs 2011

Many telecom service providers and cable companies have programs that cater to VARs as they are getting acquainted with the carrier space. Here's how to connect with some of the partner programs out there.

Courting The Channel: A Guide To Today's Business Connectivity Partner Programs

Although full convergence is not yet here, many carriers say that traditional IT and equipment VARs are quickly becoming their fastest-growing partner base.

The Enterprise App Awards

CRN unveils its inaugural Enterprise App Awards contest and recognizes three winners that stand out.

Foxit A PDF Dark Horse

Foxit Software makes a bold stab at stepping up to Adobe and taking a crack at stealing market share in the PDF marketplace with its most recent version of PhantomPDF.

Apple Channel Strategy Ripens With New Hires, iPad Certification

Apple is reaching out to IT solution providers to help with the mountain of integration services that's being created by the ongoing boom in iPhone and iPad sales.

Apple Partners: Jobs' Spirit Lives On In Our Businesses

Steve Jobs is gone, but the impact he had on Apple resellers who've espoused his approach to doing business isn't going away.

Cisco Internal Memo Details Negative Impact Of HP PC Spinoff

Cisco details weaknesses it sees in Hewlett-Packard if it proceeds with plans to spin off its PC business.

COLUMNS

Jobs: The Ultimate Solution Provider

Though the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs is mourned as a technology visionary, he was actually the ultimate solution provider, with the ability to create "insanely great" products" from standard hardware and software.

It's All About Software

VARs today should gain and invest in software expertise because they are the critical differentiators in a crowded market, with IT budgets shifting or decreasing.

'Extra-PC Era' Describes It Better

Those who call this the 'Post-PC era' couldn't be further from reality.

The IT Channel's Future: Part II

The transformative VAR or solution provider of the future is one who can sell private, public and hybrid cloud-based solutions in addition to its standard offerings.

Where In The Cloud Do You Sit?

We are seeing some common attributes among solution providers that fall into the three categories as they relate to the move to cloud computing: vintage, progressive and transformational partners.

September 2011

FEATURES

Cover Story: Rise Of The Cloud Provider

A new class of transformative cloud providers is capitalizing on new business opportunities and reshaping the IT channel.

CRN Fast Growth 100

These companies measure growth by the thousands.

How To Be A Fast Growth CEO

A solid foundation for building and maintaining a Fast Growth company is dependent on mastering the three 'Ps:' Planning, People and Partnering.

Fast Growth 2011: The Top 25

Our 2011 CRN Fast Growth 100 companies have managed to fight some pretty strong economic headwinds and achieve eye-popping revenue growth.

Business Application Software Vendors You Need To Know

Check out our list of the vendors in the business application software space the channel needs to know.

Emerging Business Application Software Vendors You Need To Know

CRN looks at the emerging vendors in the business application space that the channel needs to know.

CRN Q&A: HP PC Boss Bradley On Future of PSG

Todd Bradley, the executive vice president of HP's Personal Systems Group, says HP's partner commitment speaks for itself even as rival Dell mounts a full court press to recruit HP partners.

CRN Q&A: Michael Dell's Take On HP, The Channel and Dell's Future

In an exclusive interview with CRN, Michael Dell says HP's potential exit from the PC business makes Dell the x86 partner of choice.

10 Years Later: 9/11 Changed The Lives And Businesses Of New York VARs

September 11, 2001, changed the lives of New York VARs forever. Here are three of their stories.

Cisco Pumps $75 Million Into Partner-Led Programs, Channel Incentives

Cisco will spend $75 million on new resources and systems connected to its partner-led initiative, focused on midmarket and SMB sales by solution providers.

COLUMNS

The Michael Dell Difference

Fueled by rival Hewlett-Packard's plan to spin off its $40 billion Personal Systems Group business, Michael Dell is on an all-out channel recruitment blitz.

The Future Of The IT Channel

For the past two years, the same discussion has surfaced: Namely, which partner types, as defined by business model, will survive in the long run?

What HP Needs To Do

HP needs to do a much better job of communicating with the channel and its customers about what a spin-off could mean for them.

HP's Move: Boon For Partners

The HP decision to spin off its PC business could have proved to be healthy for HP, its competitors and the partner community.

CRN TECH: September 2011

Transform Your Business

We take you to the classroom with no-cost or low-cost ways to increase sales and profits and transform your business, all before the holiday break.

REVIEW: Drobo B800i Turns iSCSI Storage From Complex To Simple

With Drobo's LED-based monitoring and set-and-forget administration, iSCSI storage has never been so easy.

CRN Test Center: Samsung Releases Central Station For Businesses

Samsung is set to ship a business edition of its universal laptop docking station/monitor for Windows, while MacBook support on tap for the fall.

Intel To Invest $300 Million In Ultrabook Partners Fund

Intel's new $300 million Ultrabook Fund is expected to invest in hardware and software vendors the company expects will help drive its Ultrabook platform to market.

Emerging Vendors 2011: By Technology Sector

This year's listing of start-ups and upstarts, sorted by technology sector

Rockin' Rack Mount Server: Acer's AR380 F1

The price-performance ratio favors the Acer AR380 F1, and flexible options, three-year warranty complete the picture

Three Must-Have SuperSpeed Tools From Tripp Lite

A trio of technician's tools use SuperSpeed to quicken on-site backups, migrations, updates and installs.

The 10 Coolest SSDs Of 2011 (So Far)

New SSDs released over the last few months are coming to market with SAS, SATA, and Fibre Channel interfaces in a variety of form factors for embedded, blade server, rack mount, and storage system use.

August 2011

FEATURES

Channel Up-And-Comers: CRN's Next-Gen 250

This Next-Gen 250 list is a snapshot of solution providers who are zeroing in on lucrative and emerging technologies, among them cloud computing, mobility, virtualization ,unified communications, business analytics and business intelligence.

CRN Next-Gen 250: 3 Profiles

We profile three of our Next-Gen 250 solution providers who are taking advantage of the mobility revolution and offering integration and services on top of mobile platforms.

Emerging Vendors 2011

CRN's annual listing of the IT industry's upstarts and start-ups.

The Mobility Revolution

Mobility is changing the world and how we do business, and it's having a radical impact on the solution provider marketplace.

Upwardly Mobile

The CRN Test Center pits tablet vs. tablet, platform vs. platform. Where should you place your bets.

Need To Know: Mobility Vendors

Channel-facing vendors focusing on mobility.

AMD Updates OpenCL Software Development Kit for Llano Chips

AMD says updated software development kit boosts development efficiency and provides access to the full functionality of A-series chips.

COLUMNS

More Mobility Shake-Ups

News about Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility plus Hewlett-Packard's killing its webOS devices, including its just-released TouchPad, has solution providers evaluationg where to place their bets in mobility.

Partnering With Partners

Our research shows that partners who specialize typically drive a higher gross margin performance.

Tablet Gold Rush

What drove the PC revolution is driving the mobile revolution: It isn't the platform but rather the applications on top of the platform.

A Path To The New Channel

The adoption of cloud computing, while not yet universal, is growing and a path to a new channel will require extensive work by the partner community to remain successful.

July 2011

FEATURES

Cover Story: VMware's Maritz Aims To Run The Table In Cloud

VMware's Paul Maritz is making moves--and taking some calculated risks--to help VMware leverage its lofty position as the virtualization software market leader into a dominant one in cloud computing.

2011 Women of the Channel

Our 2011 Women of the Channel, our annual who's who of female channel executives, spotlights the industry's top female talent.

10 Emerging Infrastructure Software Vendors You Need To Know

Check out our list of the emerging vendors in the software infrastructure space the channel needs to know.

25 Infrastructure Software Vendors You Need To Know

Check out our list of the vendors in the software infrastructure space the channel needs to know.

Ring Leaders: The Convergence Of VARs, Carriers And The Telco Channel

Today's mobility craze, the widespread adoption of services-based IT, and the desire to lock up recurring revenue streams is gaining steam for VARs to sell carrier, or business connectivity, services.

Carriers Want Cloud Control

From jaw-dropping acquisitions to huge investments, telcos and cable companies are betting big on the cloud.

COLUMNS

New Products? Clear Strategies

Alliance and channel vendors of today and tomorrow indicated at IPED's Channel Masters seminar that partner recruitment is at the top of their list.

A Call To Action On Carrier Services

In a special report on carriers and the cloud, we take a look at the compelling proposition for solution providers to attach recurring revenue to carrier services.

110% + 110% = Exhausted

CRN's list of women in the channel includes women who face the challenges of demanding careers and family responsibilities and try to balance everything; it's all so exhausting, but oh-so rewarding.

The Channel's Best Bet

The Best of Breed concept is not the same old, but a conference with a partner-built agenda that's poised to tee up the IT business model issues and allow partners to learn from each other.

June 2011

VAR 500

VAR500 2011: Rise And Fall

There are 215 new companies on the VAR500 list this year, the most turnover the annual ranking has seen yet.

2011 VAR500: The Top 50

The top 50 companies in our 2011 VAR500 - the largest solution providers in North America, ranked by revenue.

They're Channel-Strong

It was time for some new math, so our annual VAR500 ranking got a revamped methodology to make it a timely and truly representative list.

VAR500: 20 Titans Of Transformation

We honor 20 VAR500 members for their own transformations.

FEATURES

100 People You Don't Know But Should (Part 1)

Check out part one of CRN's list of 100 people in the channel that you don't know but should.

100 People You Don't Know But Should (Part 2)

Check out part two of CRN's list of 100 people in the channel that you don't know but should.

25 Cloud Vendors You Need To Know

Check out our list of the vendors in the cloud computing and SaaS markets the channel needs to know.

10 Emerging Cloud Vendors

Check out our list of emergingg vendors in the cloud computing and SaaS markets.

Dell Offers Peek At Upcoming Compellent Storage Innovations

Phil Soran, founder and former top executive at Compellent before its recent acquisition by Dell, offered VARs and customers a look ahead at some of the enhancements planned for the Dell Compellent Storage Center.

Review: Radeon HD 6990 Graphics Card Doubles Specs

With twice the processors of the 6970, AMD's Radeon HD 6990 raises the bar on video graphics cards.

Five Business Hours After Tornado, Joplin VAR Back Online

SNC Squared's office was destroyed by a tornado, but the Joplin, Mo.-based VAR was back up the next day ready to help clients. Here's how they did it.

COLUMNS

The Tablet Invasion

As we increasingly move toward desktop virtualization and cloud computing, the potential market for mobile devices and tablets is going to be huge.

Are You Up To Speed On Mobility Yet?

The ability to sell and support new wireless applications, the resulting communications infrastructure and, ultimately, the management of these ubiquitous mobile devices offer the next growth opportunity.

Denali Goes Ahove And Beyond

Denali Advanced Integration, Redmond, Wash., becomes the first company in the history of the VAR500 to be awarded by CRN for its community service.

Transform Or Be Left Behind

A look at the VAR500 solution provider list this year makes one thing crystal-clear: You need to be thinking very seriously about cloud and virtualization, and how you are going to play in this market.

CRN TECH: June 2011

System Builders Embrace Tablets

Custom system builders and boutique PC makers are carving out a niche in the suddenly crowded tablet market.

Test Center Briefs – A Roundup of Hot New Products

The CRN Test Center looks at three new products from Toshiba, LG and Orb Audio.

Stunning Dell PowerEdge Server

Dell's Opteron-based PowerEdge C6145 server reached a peak Geekbench score of 22,607.

BitDefender Delivers Enterprise Security

BitDefender delivers a one-two punch by increasing its engagement with VARs and launching its Business Solution Version 3.5 security management solution aimed at small and midsize businesses.

Analysis: The 'Write' Opportunity

With disruption near or at an all-time high in the IT industry, VARs, more than ever, will need to write more software to perform a wide range of functions.

Demands Of The New Data Center: Consolidate, Virtualize, Cool

Another data center trend is increased spending, much of which will be on ramping up power.

Tale Of The Tape

Archiving, not backing data up, is helping lift sales of tape drives and libraries using the LTO and a couple of enterprise formats, but libraries and drives featuringother formats are slowly becoming museum pieces.

Security Focus Shifting From Network To Endpoint

Mobility, cloud computing and the growing mobile threat landscape are creating a significant need for endpoint security solutions, and some solution providers see this attention to the endpoint chipping away at sales of traditional network security products.

May 2011

Features

Xerox: Channeling New Energy

Xerox CEO Ursula Burns is enjoying her coming-out party with the channel, and talking about her company as "the new Xerox."

Q&A: Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns, the first female African-American CEO of a company the size of Xerox, shoots straight from the hip about the more channel-focused company, about strategy and about life.

Xerox, Cisco: Print Pals

Xerox and Cisco aim to bring more managed print, mobile print and cloud IT outsourcing services to solution providers, particularly to Cisco partners.

McAfee Launches Cloud Security Platform

McAfee launched an all-in-one Cloud Security Platform, protecting Web, e-mail and identity traffic traveling to and from the cloud.

First Look: Why Intel's 3-D Transistor Is Such A Big Deal

With 22-nm process, Intel 3-D processor graduates from Ivy Bridge to Ivy League.

Solution Providers To Microsoft: Don't Mess With Skype

Solution providers fear that Microsoft may mess with the formula that has made Skype an internet success story.

CRN's Virtualization 100: Part 1

Check out part one of CRN's Virtualization 100, a comprehensive list of who's who in the virtualization space.

CRN's Virtualization 100: Part 2

Check out part two of CRN's Virtualization 100, a comprehensive list of who's who in the virtualization space.

2011 Need To Know: Peripherals Vendors

Check out our list of vendors in the peripherals market that VARs need to know.

2011 Need To Know: Peripherals Emerging Vendors

Check out our list of emerging peripherals vendors making their presence known in the channel.

Columns

The CloMoSo Prescription: The Cure For Technology Nearsightedness

John Landry, who has been out in front of the biggest technology paradigm shifts for the past three decades, uses to describe the three immutable forces of nature that are reshaping every nook and cranny of the technology business.

Burns: Blazing A New Trail

Even before Ursula Burns stepped into the Xerox CEO role, she had big shoes to fill.

Where's Distribution Headed?

Can distribution find a role in the world of cloud computing where most of the world buys computing power much like it does electrical power?

Benchmarking Your Business

I promised to share more data as the year progressed around solution provider profiles, profitability and other trends. Then we'll move to some business model statistics with a goal of offering you a quick benchmark of your business against the U.S. average solution provider

April 2011

Features

Channel Champions Awards: The Big Winners

Solution providers ranked their vendors across 26 product categories in CRN's annual Channel Champions survey. Here's who came out on top.

Is The Android Operating System Too Risky For Enterprise Business?

The Test Center loves many things about Android, but the platform's security isn't one of them. For enterprises, that means the potential risks to corporate data is just too high.

Report: Samsung Cut Into Intel's Semiconductor Market Share Lead In 2010

Samsung's rise to within four percent of Intel in the semiconductor market is reflective of growth in the memory segment, according to IHS iSuppli.

What's The Next Big Channel Opportunity In Video?

As recent moves by Cisco and Polycom attest, the next generation of video VARs will focus on software, content management, and the blurring business-consumer boundaries.

Columns

Is Technology Sales Now A Blood Sport?

The political power plays vendors are engaged in today are dangerous for solution providers and the channel as a whole.

Service Providers Change Compensation Game

There's a new component in the matter of compensation: the added complication of vendor products brought to market by service providers.

Specializing In 'Microverticals' Will Be Key

The business model in the next five years will be about specializing, and drilling down into verticals, call them 'microverticals,' will be key.

Hacked, With No One To Call

The trouble with the cloud is there's no one to call when you have an issue, and that's an opportunity for solution providers.

March 2011

Features

2011 Need To Know: Hardware Infrastructure Vendors

Check out our list of the emerging hardware infrastructure vendors making their presence known in the channel.

2011 Need To Know: Hardware Infrastructure Emerging Vendors

Check out our list of hardware infrastructure vendors that the channel needs to know.

2011 Partner Program Guide: Higher Ground

In this year's Partner Program Guide, we see 5-Star vendors ratchet up services and resources they provide to VAR partners.

Cloud 100

Here, we spotlight the Top 100 cloud computing vendors for 2011 across five categories: cloud platforms, cloud infrastructure, cloud security, cloud storage and cloud software and apps.

HP's New CEO: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Leo

Of all the things we learned about Leo Apotheker, the most important are these: He is firmly committed to partners, and he has a compelling plan to unite HP and return it to its roots as a technology innovator

Columns

HP's CEO Is Channel Strong

Make no mistake about it: Apotheker is channel strong. He has hit the ground running, quickly getting his arms around the value of the channel for HP.

The Public Cloud Debate

So, I've spoken with two sets of managed service providers: One school believes public cloud service providers compete with managed service providers. The other school believes public cloud service providers offer additional products that can be repackaged and sold to supplement their managed offerings. Which is correct?

Tales From The Field

I was at one of the many partner conferences being held this winter and I heard a story that is unfortunately all too familiar and illustrates the implications of bad field behavior.

Leadership, In This Industry?

Leo Apotheker, HP's CEO of just a few months stepped into the spotlight recently in an interview with CRN and in a separate presentation to investors where he began to set forth what the future of HP will look like.

CRN TECH: March 2011

10 Growing Markets You Haven't Yet Considered

The CRN Test Center tracks 10 emerging and growing technologies that can bring big opportunity to channel partners.

Intel, AMD Ramp Up Chip Game

Intel and AMD bet big on revolutionary new architectures that combine CPU and GPU capabilities on a single piece of silicon.

Top of the Pack: Value Meets High Performance

The CRN Test Center gets under the hood of three products from HyperOffice, HP and Dell that pack both value and high performance.

HP Delivers Proliant-Based Desktop Virtualization

The CRN Test Center evaluates a VDI solution from Hewlett-Packard.

Tools For Keeping Things Cool

The data center trend toward consolidation and virtualization is creating a spate of new tools designed to handle asset management and power consumption.

Review: Seagate's 3TB GoFlex Desk

Seagate's Free Agent GoFlex Desk provides 3 TB of desktop storage, along with a backup and recover solution that the CRN Test Center evaluates and reviews.

Test Center Review: ViewSonic's PJD7383i Projector

The ViewSonic PJD7383i projector combines nice performance with interactive features to make a compelling solution.

Test Center Review: Samsung's Nexus S -- A Major Leap Forward

The pure-Android platform amounts to a clean slate for solution providers.

Fujitsu Still Has The Touch With LifeBooks

Three-pound tablet offers solution providers a highly capable input device.

SSDs Gaining Ground In Storage, Servers, Laptops

High-performance and mission-critical applications have customers increasing their use of SSD and Flash memory module technologies.

Mobile Virtualization Might Soothe IT's Smartphone Headaches

Mobile virtualization could help IT departments deal with one of their most persistent challenges: Allowing workers to use their personal mobile devices in business scenarios.

Cloud Computing Gives VARs New Stickiness

Cloud computing is sticky and that stickiness is helping VARs and solution providers retain customers and become a true trusted adviser.

February 2011

FEATURES

The Tech Elite Advantage

Our first annual Tech Elite 250 list features solution providers characterized by their unique solutions methodology, the highest-tier, multiple vendor certifications, and a heavy services and software IQ.

Panasonic Means Multifunction

Panasonic's all-in-one KX-MB2061 office machine adds voice mail and a cordless telephone to the usual mix of printing, scanning, copying and faxing capabilities, all for a list price of $249.

Strong Building Blocks

So what's woman-owned, Louisiana-based computer services company Barrister Global Services Network's secret to surviving a stock delisting, 1,300-mile move and a natural disaster -- and still going strong?

2011 Need To Know: UC & VoIP Emerging Vendors

Check out our list of the emerging UC and VoIP vendors making their presence known in the channel.

2011 Need To Know: UC & VoIP Vendors

Check out our list of 25 vendors in the UC and VoIP space that the channel needs to know.

2011 Channel Chiefs: Alphabetical by Name

These 200-plus executives are the who's who of channel management--heading up the partner programs solution providers depend on to run their business

2011 Channel Chiefs: The List

These 200-plus executives are the who's who of channel management--heading up the partner programs solution providers depend on to run their business.

Chambers Q&A: Cisco Is Breaking Away In Data Center

Cisco Systems CEO John Chambers sits down with CRN for a wide-ranging conversation touching on the growth of the Cisco channel, why he believes Cisco is a compelling bet for partners and what role the network, collaboration, video and other Cisco hallmarks will play in the businesses of the future.

Cisco's Chambers: Architecture Is The Future

A few weeks ahead of Cisco's annual partner conference, Chairman and CEO John Chambers outlines the path to success for Cisco solution providers, which runs straight through the cloud.

COLUMNS

The 2011 Tech Elite Class

A new breed of super-cool solution providers is breaking away from the channel pack with best-in-class, high-business-impact solutions for customers. We honor them here in our first annual CRN Tech Elite list.

Carrier Competitors, Or Partners?

Cisco, IBM, EMC, Verizon-Terremark, SHI: Who are your server and storage vendors today?

Five Steps To Cloud Success

The cloud change is real, and for solution providers there are some things you need to know if you are going to be able to run a successful company for the long term.

Next-Generation VARs

Organizations need to make investments in new skills. This was the reasoning behind our newest list, the Tech Elite 250.

January 2011

FEATURES

2011 Need To Know: Security VARs

Check out CRN's snapshot of the leading security VARs in the market today.

2011 Need To Know: Security Vendors

Looking to jump into the security market? Check out CRN's list of the top technology vendors you should be rubbing elbows with.

The VAR View

The 2011 State of the Market survey, conducted in November, looks at business issues and trends in the first half of 2010 and business projections for 2011.

CRN's Data Center 100: Part 1

Check out part one of CRN's Data Center 100 a listing of some of the top players in the space that solution providers should get to know.

CRN's Data Center 100: Part 2

Check out part two of CRN's Data Center 100, a listing of some of the top players in the space that solution providers should get to know.

COLUMNS

Joe Tucci's Triumph

In 10 years, Joe Tucci has taken EMC from no-show channel vendor to an award-winning channel vendor.

Embracing 2011: New Opportunities

New customer needs support hybrid computing environments that mix customer on-premise data centers, hosting and data center virtualization.

Tablets Are The Future

Some IT departments are resisting the tablet, but the fact is as more of us buy personal iPads, we are going to pressure CIOs to make them functional as a work device.

CRN 2011: Always On

We now have a digital edition of CRN in the form of an iPad app and plan to do even more around iPhone/iPad apps this year.